So Good Together
by Ariel119
Summary: Back from their whirlwind honeymoon, Rick and Kate settle in to married life, pregnancy/ parenthood,fluff, drama and all. Rated M for Chapters 2,3,8,21,22&30. Picks up after "I'll Give You the World". COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

When Rick and Kate cleared customs, they scanned the arrivals terminal and readily recognized the two redheads frantically waving for them. They moved forward through the crowd as quickly as their jet lagged bodies would allow. Before they knew it they were enveloped in matching enthusiastic hugs. The greetings overlapped.

"Dad!"

"Welcome back, Darling"

Alexis reluctantly released her grip on her father only to jump on Kate.

"Hi, we're so happy you're back!"

"Richard"

"Mother"

They made their way to the car and the driver loaded all of their luggage in the back. While his mother and daughter were plying him with questions, Kate took the opportunity to let go of Rick's hand and pull out her phone to text Lanie.

_Back on terra firma but tired as hell. Breakfast tomorrow?_

The response took but a minute. _You know it, girl, welcome back._

Back at the loft, Rick dug into his suitcase and produced the silver jewelry they'd acquired. Both women were appreciative, particularly when they noted the matching piece Kate wore.

They had a simple dinner and then Martha took her leave. Alexis kept the newlyweds up for a while asking questions about their various stops. They recounted as much as they could, leaving out the details that might scar her for life. Eventually they made their excuses and headed up to bed.

Kate had changed into a lightweight cotton teddy and was brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She smiled as she saw Rick approach and wrap his arms around her waist. Pressing a kiss to her neck he murmured, "Welcome home, Mrs. Castle."

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Sitting at an outdoor table she waved as she saw Lanie approaching. The petite ME leaned in for a hug as she took her seat. After placing their order, details were shared about every destination. As she prepared to dish about the beach in Nice, Kate warned her friend.

"Now listen, no shrieking when I tell you this part." She then relayed her adventures on the topless beach, especially her little 'Gotcha' to Rick. Poor Lanie's eyes were almost popping out when the tale was over.

"I've said it for years, that man is good for you. He makes you have fun."

She told all about foiling the cheaters in Monte Carlo, their lovely stops in Italy and Greece, and of course more complete details about their crime solving in Moscow.

When all was said, Lanie was grinning from ear to ear. "Well you look fantastic, the tan agrees with you. I'm so happy for you, Beckett. Or is it going to be Castle now?"

"Well we talked about it, and for work stuff I am going to stick to Beckett. That's the name I've built my career with, and besides, how confusing is it gonna be at a scene or at the station house if someone hollers 'Yo, Castle' and we both turn around?"

* * *

Summer drew to a close and the family had one last Labor Day hurrah at the house in the Hamptons, playing on the beach, barbecuing, sailing, before it was time to help Alexis move into her dorm room at Rutgers. She'd decided that with the agile mind she'd gotten from her father and the passion she'd learned from her stepmother that pursuing a Criminal Justice degree was only natural.

Wanting to keep things low key, they rented an SUV to hall her belongings in. Using the map they'd been given at orientation, they drove along College Avenue and coasted to a stop in front of Tinsley Hall. Rick helped her carry the first load into the brick fronted four storey building. She'd been assigned a room on the second floor, and from the look of things, her roommate hadn't yet arrived. "Early bird gets the window, I guess," she said, gesturing to one of the beds. Rick put the carton he was carrying down on it, then turned to her.

"Tell you what, Honey. You stay here and start unpacking, Kate and I can take turns carrying your stuff in."

"Ok, Dad, thanks."

And so it went for the next hour or so, Rick and Kate using the tag team approach and carrying Alexis' belongings into the building. A few times she took a turn herself. Before leaving her father alone in her room she pinned him with a glare. "Now Dad. Don't go trying to intimidate any boys that come around her while I'm gone, ok?"

"Ok Pumpkin. Wait, boys, what boys?" he called to her retreating back.

Despite his screaming fatherly instincts, he stayed inside her room, scheming about how he might arrange things so that she had more space.

When everything had been moved in, they went to a farewell dinner hosted at Brower Commons Dining Hall next door. Castle made as many juvenile comments as he could, disparaging the food, until he actually tasted it.

"Wow, not bad."

"I know, right? With this food I'll put on my freshman 15 in no time. Good thing the gym is so close by."

Kate could tell by the way his brow furrowed that he was thinking about girls with body image issues. She squeezed his knee under the table. "Just remember moderation, Lex. I bet walking to classes will do plenty to keep your metabolism up."

After they'd had dessert, including seconds for Rick, Kate could see it was time to move things along. Willing to be the 'bad guy', she declared "Well, this has been great, but we really need to get back to the city, I have court in the morning and I need to prep."

She hugged Alexis and then went to the car, allowing father and daughter their private moment.

"You sure you're gonna be ok here?"

"Dad," she replied, shielding the tears behind a layer of exasperation, "I'm going to be fine. And you will, too. Kate will take good care of you. Now I've got to go meet my new roommate, and if you don't move it, Kate's going to be mad."

They shared one last hug before she jogged off into the building.

Kate was already behind the wheel. "C'mon, let's go home. I'll even let you play with the radio."

"Kate, thanks, for everything."

She nodded, grateful for the falling darkness that would hide the slight redness in her eyes. She'd gotten misty herself, watching their farewell and thinking how she, too, would miss the spunky teen that she'd bonded with.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ok, ladies and gentlemen. This chapter has little to no plot, but I hope you will find it as enjoyable to read as it was to write.**_

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"Now remember what I asked of you?"

"Yes. Keep an open mind." Kate's bored voice was completely devoid of inflection. This was the third time Rick had posed the question, and Kate was growing tired of it. She looked out the car window at unfamiliar surroundings.

When he'd suggested a weekend at the Hamptons house, she welcomed the idea. Since Labor Day weekend, Kate had been working, it seemed, non-stop. Apparently the criminal element of New York City had developed some sort of group consciousness and they were ALL on their worst behavior.

So on Friday night, seconds after she closed her last file folder, he whisked her out to their waiting car. As they cruised along the LIE, Kate appreciatively breathed in the fresh, slowly cooling air of the September evening. They arrived late, headed straight upstairs and unwound with an old movie and a bowl of popcorn.

Now here it was, Saturday night, and after spending a relaxing day on the beach, they were "out".

He pulled the car to a stop outside a cottage. It was one of a half dozen identical buildings set in a semi circle.

Taking in the surroundings, Kate's brow furrowed. "What is this place, a camp?"

"In a manner of speaking..." Rick replied vaguely. He headed for the door, leaving her little choice but to follow him. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a plain white envelope. From it, he extracted an equally plain white keycard, which he slid into the reader in the lock. A soft click was accompanied by the green glow of an LED. He'd noted that the shades were already drawn down.

"Rick, if this is one of your silly fantasies, I swear…" Her voice trailed off as she followed him through the door and took a look around.

"Got it in one. Though I prefer not to think of them as _silly._"

_What is this place? Eastern Long Island's answer to Dungeon Alley? _Kate wondered. Her eye was naturally drawn to the largest object in the room, a king sized bed fitted with what appeared to be midnight blue silk sheets. Her gazed swept up the bed to the headboard, an ornate black wrought iron affair with white satin ropes affixed to it. She craned her neck to view the ceiling above the bed, and was mildly stunned to behold a mirror mounted there.

Beside the mirror, she noted two eye bolts, suspended from which was some sort of swing, a complicated looking contraption with all sorts of straps and bands. In the corner there was a low cushioned chair with a narrow seat and a high back, upholstered in a soft black suede-like material. In the opposite corner, there was an alcove with a small kitchenette, and beside that a bathroom was visible through a partially open door. A second, closed door shielded what she assumed was a closet from her view.

Looking back to the bed, she noticed the table beside it held two baskets. Curiosity got the better of her and she crossed the room to check out the contents. The first basket held squares of fabric in all different textures. The other held brand new jars of edible body paints. She dared not investigate what might be concealed in the drawer of the nightstand.

Finally completing her inspection of the room, she spun to find Rick leaning against the door, his arms folded, watching her. She was at a loss for words, save one. "Why?" she asked, gesturing with her hands to the room in general.

He smiled at her. "Do you remember when we began our honeymoon cruise, how I said I could get my payback for your little bondage stunt our first weekend together? It began as a threat, but based on your…surprisingly favorable reaction, I opted to make it a promise. And I _never…" _his voice grew husky now, "renege on my promises."

Fighting the blush at the memory, she countered, "Yes, and do YOU remember that you _asked_ for the handcuffs? Literally?"

"Didn't really expect you to call me on it. Not that I'm complaining, it sure as hell showed me that you have an adventurous and playful side. However, this place came to my attention recently and I decided that it suited our needs nicely."

"I wasn't aware that we needed…_this._" She gestured vaguely to the room again.

"Nonsense, every couple needs a little variety, and it's not as though I could hang _those_" he said, pointing to the swing and the mirror "in our bedroom."

A frightful thought entered her mind, and she regarded him warily. "We don't _own…this…_do we?"

He snorted. "What am I, some kind of deviant? No, it's rented, just for tonight."

"Rented…traceably?" she asked, with trepidation.

Divining her meaning, he smiled. "No. Through a very discrete and reliable third party. I know perfectly well we don't want the tabloids getting a hold of this, despite the fact that two married, consenting adults are involved."

He pushed away from the door and came to stand close beside her. "Now, where shall we begin?" he asked, his voice low, soft, seductive. He traced the curve of her neck with the tip of his finger and she fought the shiver, pulling away.

"You can begin by taking us home."

"No, no. We're staying, and we're going to…enjoy one another." His voice had an authoritative edge to it that he rarely used with her. Normally he was like the bigger but submissive puppy, figuratively rolling to his back for her the second she showed even a bit of a snarl. Tonight, though, he was different. He seemed determined to call the shots, and just as when he had hinted at it before, she got a little thrill, despite herself. She held still as he removed the light jacket she was wearing, then started on the buttons of her blouse. When he got halfway down, she backed away, deciding to see how committed he was to playing this new role.

Very, as it turned out. His hand shot out to grab her wrist gently but firmly. He pulled her up against him again and planted a searing kiss on her, designed to melt her resistance. At long last, he broke the kiss, and she opened her mouth to speak. The single word came out so softly he almost missed it. "Snowflakes."

"What?" he asked, completely confused.

"My safe word. 'Snowflakes'," she repeated, meeting his gaze. "If we're going to do this properly, I'll need one, right? Just in case?"

He nodded, mentally reeling that she was actually taking this seriously. "Snowflakes it is, then." He finished dispensing with the blouse, walking her backwards as he went. When she was close enough to the bed he picked her up and deposited her on it. He grabbed one of the thick satin cords and wound it around her wrist. She watched with fascination as he tied a careful knot, inspecting to assure himself that her skin wasn't pinched.

Rick scrutinized Kate as he finished the last knot. She lay back on the pillows, glancing between him and her bound wrist. He noted with satisfaction that her body language was relaxed, pupils dilated. _Ok, let the games begin._

He walked toward the foot of the bed, trailing his hand along her body as he went. When he got around to the other side, he climbed on and took her other hand. He trailed kisses from her shoulder all the way down to the tip of her longest finger, before securing her wrist with the other cord. He inched downward, kissing and nipping until he got to her waist. He slid his hand along the inside of her leg until it disappeared beneath her skirt, loving the fact that she couldn't see what he was doing.

Kate felt his hand stroking her thigh, dancing upward toward her panties. Opting to exert what little control she did have in this situation, she brought her knees together and captured his arm between them, temporarily halting further progress. Her triumphant look was met by a chiding shake of his head.

"Now, now darling. Play nice, or I'll use these." He blindly reached over the edge of the mattress and produced one of the padded ankle cuffs that was tethered to the leg of the bed by another length of white satin cord.

She debated the point in her mind. There was something tantalizing about the idea of total helplessness, but only at the hand of someone she trusted completely. She decided to provoke him some more by planting her feet on the bed for leverage and twisting away from him. Not that she could go far, but the defiant gesture was not lost on him.

"Ok, you asked for it." Since her maneuvering had freed his other hand, he pinned her legs down with his upper arm while fastening the restraint around one ankle. Thinking ahead, he unzipped her skirt and slid it down her legs, freeing up the unfettered foot and sliding the garment over the restrained foot so that it was hanging off the bed. Holding the other ankle fast, he slowly dragged her leg across the bed while fishing for the other cuff. He found it and snapped it in place, then moved off the bed to survey his work. With a nod of satisfaction and a 'dusting off the hands' motion, he moved away from the bed to retrieve the baskets from the table. Kate studied her reflection in the mirror above her, fascinated and (though she hated to admit it) turned on by the image.

When Rick returned he had selected two cloths, one velvet and one faux fur. Laying one across each palm, he began to stroke her body in large circles, teasing and tantalizing her. To his delight he found that her bra had a front clasp, so he deftly unsnapped it and bared her breasts to his view and ministrations. She writhed and moaned and occasionally giggled as he found her ticklish spots.

When she was breathless and panting, he stopped and reached into the paint basket. He unscrewed the top of the red one and dipped in a finger, touching it to his tongue. "Mmmm. Cherries. Try some?" He extended the finger to her and she darted out her tongue to take a lick, then lifted her head further to suck on the digit. She held his gaze steadily as she did so, her action a promise of things to come.

Winking at her, he began to draw on her with the paint. Smiley faces, daisies, whatever struck his fancy, she was his canvas. Reaching her underwear-clad hips, he considered for a second, before mentally digging deep to tap his inner bad-ass. Glancing up to be sure she was watching, he grasped the waist at the seam and gave a sharp yank, rending the short band of fabric. He pulled the ruined remnant down over her foot to join the skirt, then switched gears and happily went back to painting, taking particular pleasure in the heart he traced on her hip. When he was satisfied with his art project, he pulled out his phone and switched it to the camera function.

"RICHARD CASTLE don't you _dare._ This game will be _over." _The murderous glare she was shooting him told him she was serious, and he was about to cross a damaging line.

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_***raising hands* Don't shoot. I swear chapter 3 is written already, and will be published soon...assuming you'd like to know how it turns out. The only way I'll know that is if you review... *evil cackle***_


	3. Chapter 3

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**I told some of you the wait wouldn't be terribly long...**

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He cocked his head to the side. "You _know _it would be for my eyes alone…"

Her lips were set in a firm line, until she spoke. "And _you_ know you'd be storing it in a device that can reach out to the _world. Very _dangerous._" _When his hand didn't move, she opened her mouth and began to say the word that would end it all. "Snow…"

"OK, you win. Just…don't, please?" He pocketed the phone and moved up to the head of the bed. He kissed her lips, then kissed and licked away most of the paint. She writhed under his mouth, moaning at the sensation.

He found a package of pre-moistened cleansing wipes in the paint basket, and shook one free to wipe her down. The tender action made her heart sing. The look she sent him was an invitation, one which he accepted immediately. He lay down beside her and kissed her again. As he did so his hands found and released the knots holding her wrists, so she was free to embrace him. He broke away and unfastened her ankles, kissing each one in turn. When he came back to her, she helped him out of his clothes.

Naked, he stood and led her to the chair. He sat down and pulled her into his lap facing him. She now saw the rationale behind the dimensions of the piece of furniture. She was able to rest her feet on the floor and comfortably straddle him, allowing for proper leverage. His hands glided up and down her back and the top of her buttocks, making her skin tingle. He bent his head to feather kisses on her breasts. When he took one nipple into his mouth, Kate hissed out a breath and ground her hips into him. Desperately she shifted and maneuvered, seeking that most delicious stimulation. He pulled away and looked up at her with mock innocence.

"What's the matter, Kate?"

"I need…I…Please…" She was asking permission, having fully invested in the notion that for tonight, _he_ was in control.

"Go ahead, I'm not stopping you."

She lifted herself up the few inches needed, positioned him at her entrance, then plunged onto him. Emitting desperate whimpers she rose up and then fell heavily, seeking to take him as deeply as possible. She repeated the move again and again, faster and faster, a sheen of sweat breaking out all over. When Rick could feel her legs trembling he braced his hands around her waist to help her lift herself. Suddenly she squeezed her eyes shut and her whole body stiffened, as the climax roared through her. The sight of her in its throes was the final straw for him, and he hugged her to him as he surrendered to his own orgasm.

He was grateful for the support the back of the chair provided, and he slumped against it, gasping. Kate lay against him like a rag doll. He curled a finger under her chin so that she would look at him. "You ok?" When she nodded, breathless, he claimed her lips in a tender kiss.

Kate recovered first, easing off his lap and padding to the closet door. She cautiously opened it, then quickly swung the door shut. Looking over her shoulder, she saw his amused grin. "Did you know those were in there?" she questioned, referring to the array of costumes hanging from the bar.

"Yes. Decided not to push my luck."

With a saucy wink she opened the door again and moved the hangers around. She spotted a teal satin kimono that would serve nicely as a robe, and slipped it over her shoulders. Stepping into the bathroom, she opted to take a shower. When she emerged, wrapped in a huge fluffy towel, with the robe draped over her arm, he pinned her with a stern look. "You showered. Without me. Did I say you could do that?"

Needing a break from the whole domination game, she merely folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"Too much?" he asked, meeker now.

She nodded curtly and jerked her thumb toward the bathroom. "Your turn."

"And what if _I_ don't want to shower without _you?"_

"First, I am already clean. Second, I'm going to see what I can scare up for food. We need sustenance if we're going to continue, right?"

Deciding that he liked her way of thinking, he headed into the bathroom. She finished drying off and slipped back into the kimono.

In the small kitchenette Kate found a cube fridge with some pre-made cocktails. She selected two, plus some fruit, cheese and pâté. In a cabinet she found chocolate dip to go with the fruit, and crackers for the pâté and the cheese. She found a tray to assemble the snack on, and carried the fare to the bedside table, nudging the baskets aside.

Stomach grumbling, she ate one of the crackers with some pâté, then another with some cheese. Her mouth was dry, so she cracked open one of the cocktails. _Tasty _she thought, and took several long swallows, draining the bottle. She retrieved another from the fridge then made her way back to the bed. A smile played on her lips as an idea occurred to her.

When Castle exited the bathroom, still toweling himself off, Kate clambered off the bed and hurried to stand before him, executing a deep bow. "Allow me, Sir," she said, her head still lowered.

He peered back into the bathroom, then at the doorway itself, wondering if he had accidentally stepped into an alternate universe. She was, literally, genuflecting to him. With a smirk he decided to see how far she'd be willing to take this game.

"You may." He injected grandeur into his tone, giving her permission to do…whatever she had in mind.

She rose and took the towel from his hands, studiously rubbing him dry, but still not making eye contact. When she was satisfied, she fetched a fresh towel to tie around his waist. She gestured to the bed. "Please, Sir."

He sat down warily. She selected a piece of fruit from the tray, ran it through the dip, then held it before his lips. He accepted the offering. When he had finished it, she put some of the spread on a cracker and repeated her actions. This time he held her wrist and bit the cracker in her hand.

His brain was busily processing this new development. She'd willingly played the submissive but had turned back into regular Kate. Somehow while he was showering she'd transitioned to subservient? It was damned unnerving, but erotic at the same time.

Suspecting he would be feeling a little parched, she opened one of the drinks and offered it to him. He accepted it with a slightly suspicious look. "If I hadn't seen you break the seal, I'd think you were trying to slip me something."

Kate smiled innocently. She dunked a wedge of apple in the chocolate dip, then sank to her knees and used her free hand to open the towel she'd tied around his waist. She looked up at him while she daintily licked a bit of the chocolate off the apple. When she glanced back down, her smile widened. In just those few seconds, he had grown in anticipation. She cradled his member in one hand while daubing the chocolate on it with the other. She transferred most of it, then swept the apple slice with her tongue to get the rest. He groaned at the gesture.

She scooted in closer between his knees, then sat back on her heels. She began to lick the chocolate off him, wringing a strangled sound from him that was somewhere between gasp and whimper. Alarmed, she paused and looked up. His eyes were clenched shut. "Did I hurt you, Sir?"

He found he was without words to reply at first, so he simply shook his head vehemently. "No," he finally managed to get out. "It's good. Very...good."

She smiled and went back to what she was doing. "Oh," she finally moaned, having sucked away the last traces of the sweet brown confection, "it's all gone."

He felt her shift and peeked at her in time to see she was reaching for the chocolate again. "NO."

She looked up in surprise. He hastened to explain. "I can't take much more. There's something else I'd rather…" He trailed off.

She waited, and saw his expression shift as he remembered they were still playing roles here. More firmly he asserted, "We're going to do something different." He gestured to the swing.

"As you wish," she murmured. She got to her feet and used one of the wipes to clean him up as he had for her. He stood and gathered her to him for a deep kiss, then began to nibble at her neck. His hands found the belt of her robe and released it, sending the garment to the floor with a quick brush of his hands. He began to devour the bare skin before him. When she swayed against him, he scooped her up and set her in the swing, sliding her hands and feet through the straps so that she couldn't fall out.

He felt no resistance as he positioned her, and the…_wrongness_… of that finally got to him. He heaved a sigh. This had been fun for a little while, but he needed _his_ vibrant Kate back, the one with the spark of challenge in her eyes and the ability to kick his ass. "Ok, enough of this, the game is over," he said. He saw no reaction, other than her brow furrowing. "How do I get you to come back to me, Kate? What will it take? Your safe word? Mine?" A tinge of desperation entered his voice. He was half tempted to shake her to get her to snap out of it.

Her response was so quiet he barely heard it. "How about the magic word?"

He understood and latched onto it like a life preserver. "Please, darling, let's end this?" Now he was the humble one.

Her head came up then, and there it was, that light that he'd been drawn to since the moment he'd met her.

"Very good. Next time, Castle, be careful what you wish for."

He nodded ruefully. "So this was some bizarre game of 'chicken', and I blinked first?"

"Precisely. Now, are we going to make use of this contraption or what?" she asked, wiggling in the seat so that she swayed gently in mid-air.

He looked up, a surprised chuckle escaping him. He felt a tightening south of the border, a resurgence of enthusiasm that had dwindled when he registered his distaste for her meek persona. Clearly now that she was back, so was his 'friend'. He pulled her in for a kiss. Since the swing supported her weight, he was free to use his hands to caress her. His hands slid along her back to squeeze her buttocks. He found that seeing her like this, seeing so _much_ of her, fueled his passion even further, and before long he was pulling her to him and sliding into her. The swing afforded them the opportunity to experiment with angles, until they found one that gave them both the most pleasure. And pleasure one another they did, until their cries were resounding off the walls. When their trembling bodies were capable of movement, Rick extracted her from the swing and led her to the bed. He kissed her sweetly and tucked her under the covers beside him. "Thank you, for indulging me." Exhausted, they slept.

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**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted. Now review one more time, please? I worked a long time on these two chapters, and I'd love to know your thoughts!**


	4. Chapter 4

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_**The idea for this came from BURN3 quite a while ago, so thanks! And thanks to all of you that reviewed, alerted and favorited. I love getting all those emails! **_

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Lanie set down her sandwich and looked up in surprise when Kate entered the morgue. She craned her neck to look around the detective, not that it would be easy to hide Castle's six-foot-and-change frame. "Flying solo today, how come?"

Kate shrugged off the coat that had shielded her from the November chill. "Eh, I sent him to lunch with the boys. He was driving me nuts."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Kate subtly rubbed her stomach. "Definitely not. What sort of requirements are there for suing for malpractice?" she asked, her tone grumpy.

"You have to prove irrevocable bodily harm. Why?" Lanie asked with a chuckle.

"You remember the cold I had like a month ago, that Castle wouldn't leave me alone about? Well I went to the damned doctor, got a prescription, and took the pills like a good girl. I started feeling better, but then a couple weeks ago…wham. Stomach flu. Still don't feel right. So how come I didn't STAY better after taking what he prescribed?"

The M.E. pondered that for a moment. She phrased her next question carefully. "When you say you felt better…_how much_ better do you mean? Like 'if the room's rocking, don't come knocking' better?"

Kate blushed. "Well, considering how deprived poor Rick was while I was sick…Yeah. THAT much better. Why?"

"What are you using for birth control?"

Kate's brow furrowed. _What an odd question_ she thought. "The pill. It just makes it easier not to have to pause to break out the rain coat. Why?"

"And let me guess, the doctor told you to take a 10 day course of antibiotics, which you did, like a good girl, but you were feeling 'better' around, I'm gonna go with day six?" The detective's nodding confirmed her suspicions. "Sweetie, you'd better sit down." Kate complied, warily. "Did you, by any chance, read the pamphlet that came with the medication?"

"No, I didn't, I felt like crap, the pressure in my sinuses was making my eyes feel like they were going to pop out of my head, and the last thing I was in the mood to do was read a bunch of small print. Why are you asking me all this?"

Not yet ready to answer, Lanie posed another question. "You said Castle was driving you nuts. What did he do that was out of the ordinary? 'Cause from where I'm sitting, he's calmed down a lot since you two got engaged, and at his worst you still kept him within arm's reach."

Kate pondered that, the question itself and why Lanie had chosen to ask it rather than answer her query. She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess he broke the touchy feely rule too many times."

Lanie grinned as the pieces began to fall into place.

"WHAT, Lanie? What aren't you telling me?"

"Aw sugar, I think you need to pay a visit to the pharmacy and pick up an EPT."

"EPT? You mean pregnancy? No, no. Didn't you hear me? I'm on the pill."

"Which can be rendered less effective by antibiotics, _which_ you would have known if you or Mr. Speed Reader had perused the little pamphlet. They don't staple those things to the bag just to kill trees, you know."

Kate groaned. "Not stomach flu?" she asked weakly.

"Depends. When was your last monthly?"

Kate appeared to be thinking, then shrugged. "I don't know, it always gets screwy when I'm sick."

"Go get a test on the way home tonight, then take it first thing tomorrow morning. The hormone concentration is strongest then."

Kate nodded absently and left. She thought back to this morning, when she'd noticed that her pants seemed a bit more snug than normal, even though she ought to have lost weight due to the stomach flu. She'd shrugged and attributed it to premenstrual bloat. Could she really be pregnant? They'd talked about having a child, but had come to no decisions. The fact that she was still on the pill made the argument that they were trying NOT to start a family yet. Granted, they certainly had the means. But was she ready to add "Mommy" to the list of hats she wore? She was still becoming accustomed to the fit of "Wife" (to not just anyone, but a best-selling author) and "Stepmother".

The next morning she eased herself out of bed and reached into her nightstand for the long rectangular box she'd stashed the night before. No point in waking Rick about this, if came out negative she sensed he'd be disappointed. She padded into the bathroom and read the instructions…again. She followed the steps as they were listed, then rested the little plastic pen-shaped object on the edge of the tub. She counted 'Mississippi's, having left her watch in the jewelry box. Every 5 seconds or so, she would dare to peek at the oval window on the test. The first dozen times, an empty screen taunted her. But then…

The shriek coming from the bathroom startled Rick awake. "Wha-?" Disoriented, he felt around on Kate's side of the bed. The sheets were still warm, so she couldn't have been gone long. Wait... She had screamed, that's what had woken him. Something was wrong!

"Kate?" he called. "Honey, what's the matter?"

She emerged from the bathroom with a dazed but happy look on her face. She ran and jumped onto the bed with an exuberance he'd never seen from her. Clearly nothing was wrong, so…

"Why were you shrieking like that? And who snuck you the double espresso?"

At the mention of coffee, her smile faded a bit. Damn, she was going to be caffeine deprived for the next 9 months. And HE was going to have to deal with it. That thought actually restored her mood. She kissed him soundly on the mouth, taking his hand in hers.

He groaned into the kiss before pulling back and blinking at her in confusion. She'd pressed something into his hand. A marker? She hated the whole autograph thing, he knew. Had she found one in an old jacket? And why in God's name would she be so happy about it. He rejected that line of thinking as an artifact of grogginess and looked down. Suddenly he was grateful the bed was there to support him. The digital display read 'Pregnant'.

Rick stared at her in disbelief. "You're…Really? Oh my… !" Listening to himself, he shook his head. All that eloquence, and he'd yet to utter one complete sentence. He took a deep breath and let it out. Then he looked at her, smiling at him, and he fell apart again, laughing like a loon. He was going to be a father again! He pulled her to him. "My darling…congratulations!" he said, before kissing her into oblivion.

Rick waited anxiously as Kate mhm-ed her way through a conversation with her doctor's office. When she hung up he fairly exploded. "Well, what time is the appointment to confirm it?"

"3pm..." she held her hand up as she saw him nodding and checking his watch. "On December 15th."

"What? What kind of doctor's office makes you wait that long to be seen? Oh no, we'll find you someone else..." He already had his phone out and was poking at it madly, no doubt looking up obstetricians.

She gently rested her hand on his forearm. "Rick, would you relax? The nurse said that nowadays, the home pregnancy test is as accurate as any diagnostic they have. The appointment is for some blood work and an exam, including the first sonogram."

His face relaxed, slightly. He concentrated on putting the appointment into the calendar app on his phone.

"Sonogram, huh? They didn't really have those when Meredith was pregnant with Alexis. I can't wait!" Suddenly he grinned. "Alexis! We have to tell her she's going to be a big sister. But how?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, and your parents, and my dad." Her mouth turned down, and Rick knew she was thinking about her mother, wishing to share this joy with her. He allowed her a brief moment of introspection, before intruding.

"Ok so who first? Can we call Alexis now, and maybe have the 'grandparents' all together for dinner tonight?"

Rather than tell him her answer, she gently took the phone out of his hand and poked around on it for a moment. A ringing noise issued from the speaker she had enabled, followed by the chipper voice of his daughter.

"Hi Dad! What's up? You're not calling to get me to help you figure out Kate's cable password again, are you? I told you, if she's taken over raising you, I'm not going to interfere."

If Alexis has been in the room with him, he'd be making frantic 'shut up' gestures. Alas, it was Kate in the room, and her expression was less than amused.

"Uhh, no, pumpkin, I've reformed, but thank you SO much for ratting me out on speakerphone." He sent a dark look at Kate as she and Alexis shared a musical chuckle. "Anyway, Kate and I have news for you."

He made an 'after you' gesture to Kate, and her heart filled with mushy love.

"Alexis…" Kate began. Before she could continue, there was an ear splitting squeal from the other end of the line.

"Omigod omigod omigod. I'm gonna be a big sister, aren't I?"

They exchanged stunned looks.

"How did you…?" Rick asked.

"Well, that's really the only news you could have, right, that wouldn't wait? I mean, you're already married, and if it was something bad, you would have told me right away, right? So it HAS to be that you're pregnant."

Rick looked a little bowled over, causing Kate to chuckle again. "I don't know why you should be surprised, Castle, she's got your agile mind." More loudly she added, "Yes, sweetie, you got it."

After Alexis offered her congratulations, Kate handed him his phone back to call Martha and Chet, while she extracted her own from her pocket to call her father. Once the dinner invitations had been issued and the menu planned, Kate went off to work.

She stopped in at the morgue to tell Lanie her suspicions had been correct. The petite M.E. gripped her in a surprisingly tight hug.

Pulling away, Kate looked sternly at her. "Now, listen, you have to keep this under your hat. I mean it. My doctor appointment isn't for a few weeks, so until then…" she made a lip-zipping motion.

Lanie nodded but looked troubled. "You're going to have to be extra careful now. You thought Castle followed you closely before? He's going to be nearly impossible, wanting to protect his baby mama. You don't' think the boys will notice that?"

Kate shrugged. They were sharp, but maybe they wouldn't figure it out. Anyway, it was a plus that Rick would be around, he thought on his feet, so if suspicion arose, he would be quick with a cover story.

Kate returned from work and dropped her coat on the hook by the door. Rick's voice emanated from the kitchen. "Did you get them?"

"Yup," she called back. "I'm going to just relax for a bit, ok?"

"Go right ahead. As long as you're growing a human in there, you have the right to as much couch time as you desire."

Before she knew it, the door buzzer was startling her awake. She rose from the couch and headed for the door, waving Rick away. She admitted Martha and Chet, hugging both. Before she could get the door closed, Jim had appeared.

"Katie? When you said come for dinner, you didn't say it was going to be a big family thing. What's going on?"

"Nothing, Dad." She paused, searching for a likely excuse. "It was just the only night everyone had free."

After dinner, Rick inquired "Can I get anyone some coffee? Or tea?" Jim and Martha opted for coffee, while Chet requested tea. Kate followed into the kitchen to help with preparations. She poured milk for herself, then carried her glass and Jim's mug out to the dining room. Rick followed with Martha and Chet's beverages. They synchronized their movements so that all three mugs hit the table at the same time, though recognition of the "World's Greatest Grandparent" message occurred in a more staggered fashion.

"Uh Martha, I think I got your mug…" Jim began, before noticing she already had one in hand. It was then that it all clicked. "Katie? Are you trying to tell us what I think…Oh my God!"

A flurry of activity ensued. Chairs scraped, and an elder generation hugged a younger one (and a future one) joyously.

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_**I know some of you are happy squeeeeing right now! Could you, maybe, pretty please, let that enthusiam spill over into a review? Please? **_


	5. Chapter 5

**I promised some of you weeks ago that there would be a period of rapid updates. See? Good things come to those who wait! **

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CHAPTER 5

Kate looked around the waiting room, painted a soothing pink, and studied the faces of the babies and women on the magazine covers in the Plexiglas racks on the wall. She checked the clipboard once more to make sure she had completed the forms correctly. Apparently she couldn't even avoid paperwork by getting pregnant. Beside her, Rick fiddled with his phone with his one hand, while giving her knee periodic reassuring squeezes with the other. She got up and was reaching for one of the magazines with a smiling mom and baby, when a woman appeared in the doorway carrying a laptop and wearing pale yellow scrubs with storks all over them.

"Katherine?" she asked, scanning the room. Kate glanced behind her to Rick, who jumped up. The woman smiled at the matching anxious faces of the couple. "Hi, I'm Chelsea. Follow me please."

She showed them into an examination room and set up her computer on the countertop. After asking a few questions and scrutinizing Kate's medical history form, she took pulse and blood pressure readings, then reached into a cabinet and produced a gown and a sheet.

"All the clothes come off, this goes on with the opening in the back, drape the sheet over your lap. The doctor will be with you shortly." With those instructions, she departed.

Rick stood there watching her expectantly. She crossed her arms. "Nuh uh, Castle. This is VERY different from our bedroom. Don't ask me why, it just IS. On the other side of the curtain, you.

Perplexed but not wanting to risk ticking her off, he complied, waiting until he heard a faint 'ok' before peeking around the curtain. She sat perched on the exam table, smoothing the sheet over her lap and biting her lip. He came to stand beside the table and pulled her sideways to lean against him. She pulled away at the rap on the door. "Come in!"

Dr. Hathaway pulled the curtain aside and rolled in a computer on a cart, which she parked by the wall. She approached to shake hands with first Kate, then Rick.

"Kate, nice to see you again, especially under such happy circumstances. Let's get you checked out.

Rick stood at the head of the bed, out of the way, while the doctor performed her examination. When she unfolded the stirrups from the sides of the table, he was tempted to bolt. Kate was right, this WAS different from seeing her nude at home. He kept his eyes on Kate's face, while she stared at the ceiling, seemingly detached. He eyed the instruments on the little table and watched Kate wince as one of the stainless steel tools disappeared, presumably up inside her. He vowed to himself that he'd never, _ever_ complain about his prostate exams to her.

Once that part was complete, Dr Hathaway flipped on the monitor and grabbed the sonogram probe. She slid Kate's gown up to just below her breasts and squeezed some thick liquid on her stomach. "We voted to acquire a gel warmer this year, lucky you."

The doctor rolled the sensor across Kate's belly. "Oh, there we go. Want to hear?" When both nodded, she flipped on the speaker and the room was filled with a peculiar whoosh whoosh noise. Hathaway's brow furrowed, and she squinted at the screen, sliding the sensor around some more. Rick's glance was flitting back and forth from the screen to the doctor's face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked quietly, trying to keep the note of fear out of his voice. Kate glanced up at him, anxiety plain on her face. He rubbed her shoulder.

"No…I just want a second opinion, would you mind? It'll just be a minute."

With their permission, she departed. Kate swallowed past the lump in her throat and looked up at Rick. "What do you think it could be?"

"I don't know," he murmured. "This is one time I've put my imagination on mute, before it drives me mad. Just know that I love you, and whatever is going on, we'll get through it together."

Dr. Hathaway returned with another, slightly older doctor. "This is Dr. Stringfield. She's just going to have a peek." After moving the roller again and conferring with Hathaway, Dr. Stringfield nodded.

"Absolutely. Mr. and Mrs. Castle, I have a medical student shadowing me. Would you mind if she came in to have a look. It isn't every day she gets the chance to see…" Seeing the alarm on both Kate and Rick's faces, she glanced at Dr. Hathaway. "She's your patient, do you want to tell her?"

Rick finally snapped. "For God's sake, tell us WHAT? What's with the three ring circus?"

Hathaway grinned. "Funny you should mention the number three, Mr. Castle. Your wife is carrying triplets." With that news, Richard Castle, thrill master, fainted and hit the floor like a large, well dressed sack of potatoes.

* * *

They finally got home an hour later, armed with prescription prenatal vitamins and a canvas tote bag full of goodies from the doctor's office. Like a kid at Christmas, Rick hadn't been able to resist poking through the bag during the taxi ride home. There were formula coupons, diaper samples, a baby bottle with drop-in inserts, and pamphlets galore about healthy eating, cord blood banking, and a score of other topics. They called Alexis to share the news.

"Hey Lex, guess who fainted in the doctor's office and needed smelling salts to bring _him_ around?"

Rick glared at her. "I told you, it was only because I skipped breakfast this morning."

"Really? It didn't have anything to do with the fact that the doctor told us we were having _triplets_?"

They let the question hang for a second, waiting for Alexis to process it. After squealing at a pitch just short of a dog whistle's, she asked the first question every expectant parent hears. "So what's her due date?"

"Well, a full 40 weeks would bring her to July 26th, but with triplets there's far less room in the belly so they might be delivered early. We'll see."

Alexis then changed the subject. "Hey Dad, I have a favor to ask."

"Sure, Pumpkin, name it."

"Well, I joined a community service group here on campus, and one of the projects is adult literacy tutoring. You know, immigrants who are trying to learn English, but also Americans who just never learned to read, maybe because they had to quit school and get a job to support their family, or because they had a learning disability that just wasn't identified. Anyway I went through the training session, and they were saying that stories for adults with easy vocabulary are hard to come by. Blue collar workers aren't really into reading about the adventures of Diego or Strawberry Shortcake. So I was thinking. YOU'RE a writer…Maybe you could come up with, I don't know, some short Derrick Storm or Nikki Heat stories, but with simplified vocabulary? And I could try using them with my student."

Rick agreed to try to come up with something, before wrapping up the call.

* * *

The next morning Kate emerged from the elevator and savored a sip of what was rapidly becoming her new favorite beverage. If anyone had told her two weeks ago that she's soon have Ginger Peach Decaf tea running through her veins rather than her beloved Sumatran Dark Roast…But she was thrilled to finally find something that quelled the nausea.

Ryan glanced up when he saw Kate enter the squad room, paper travel cup in hand. He did a double-take when he noticed the string and tag of a tea bag dangling out of it. "No coffee today?"

Kate swore inwardly. To avoid raising suspicion she normally took the bag out before she got there but… No matter, they would know soon anyway. Still, she needed to break the news in the correct order, so she pinned him with a 'what's it to you?' look. "I was just in the mood for something different…"

She dropped her coat on her chair and headed into the Captain's office, closing the door behind her.

Ryan chucked a wadded napkin at Esposito to get his attention. "Hey, Javi, something's up with Beckett."

Esposito frowned at him. "Because she's drinking tea? Why don't you save those sharp detective skills for the next crime."

Despite his dismissal, he kept one eye on Montgomery's door and was relieved when she emerged smiling. She took a seat at her desk and began sorting through the files, humming to herself. Javier raised one eyebrow at her. Beckett _never_ hummed. One other detail irked him, too.

"Where's Castle?" he inquired after about an hour had passed without an appearance from the author. Since they'd returned from the honeymoon, they were more inseparable than ever.

Kate spun in her chair and grinned. She couldn't contain herself, and he'd given her the opening she'd been waiting for. Bombs away… "Rick is at the loft today. He is interviewing decorators to convert the spare bedroom…into a nursery."

Silence fell between them as her guys processed the news. Esposito was first to recover.

"Nursery? Shut the front door!" He vaulted out of his chair, Ryan right behind. Office decorum went out the window as they enveloped her in a hug. Suddenly they backed off, simultaneously staring at her stomach and stammering apologies.

"Sorry, are you ok? We didn't…Is it…?"

Kate held her hand up, chuckling. "Guys, thanks for the concern, but if a hug were enough to endanger a pregnancy, there'd be a LOT fewer people in this world. It's fine. They're like... lima beans right now, wrapped in a whole lot of cushioning. I.."

"Hold it!" Ryan exclaimed, cocking his head to the side and staring at her stomach again, as though something was going to jump out of it. "_They? _How many do you have in there?"

Kate smiled. "Glad to see you're still listening to me. Triplets, actually, so I'm going to get big FAST. I don't think I'll be engaging in any foot pursuits and takedowns in the foreseeable future, but…"

She trailed off as she started thinking about what this would mean for her career. She would compile a list of questions for the next doctor's visit, which risks were acceptable and which were not. She hated the thought of desk duty, but she knew deep down that though there were others who could do what she did in the field, she was the only one in the world who could grow Richard Castle's babies inside her. That though lit her face with a warm smile, which morphed into a more begrudging grin as she contemplated the next thought.

Hell, Castle had the sharpest eyes of anyone she'd ever met in the law enforcement world, even though he wouldn't be HER shadow, he could still shadow the guys and be her proxy.

Castle walked into the squad room and paused to contemplate the scene before him. Ryan and Esposito's eyes were trained on Kate, who seemed to be completely lost in thought and staring off into space. He waved his hand subtly and caught their attention. They gave him wide grins of congratulations, which he accepted with a nod, then furrowed his brow with an inquisitive look at Kate. They both shrugged in response. He walked up to her and put himself in her line of sight.

Kate jumped as the daydream version of Rick was replaced with a three dimensional figure. She grinned sheepishly when she realized she'd been caught woolgathering.

"So you told them?"

She nodded. "Done with interviews already?"

Head bobbing enthusiastically, he withdrew a folder from his messenger bag. "This candidate not only had her regular portfolio, but a miniature copy for us to keep. She comes highly recommended, and she seems really talented."

Kate's heightened sense of smell detected something out of place. Perfume? She rocked back on her heels, folding her arms across her chest. "Talented,huh?" I remember what you told me you did with your last interior decorator. Exactly how '_talented_'' was this one?" she demanded.

Rick took a step back from her, not quite able to believe his ears. He darted a look to the side, where Kevin and Javier were making themselves look as busy as possible. He lowered his voice and reached for her arm. "Let's go talk in private, ok?"

She pulled away."No! Tell me."

Keeping his voice quiet, he tried to steer her to the break room. "I think someone's hormones have gone a little wacky."

"Don't you patronize me!"

"Well then, don't lose your mind on me." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Listen. I'm not going to have this fight out here, in front of the entire squad room."

Her eyes narrowed. "So you're just going to walk out?"

"No, I won't do that to you either. Your stress levels are pinning the needle as it is, which is not good for you _or _them" he said, swirling his pointer finger in the direction of her abdomen. "I'm going into the break room. When you're ready to continue this conversation, you can follow me." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "_Ya zhdu_."

Kate fell heavily into her chair, pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose. Tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. She inhaled, intent on deep cleansing breaths, but the air she drew in still carried the perfume smell, though he was in the other room. She literally followed her nose, which led her to the messenger bag he'd dropped on 'his' chair. In the pocket she found a small gift bag. Peeking between the folds of the tissue paper, she found a box with the words "Massage Mama" on it. Investigating further, she saw that it was a sampler box of different scented lotions, all designed to soothe a pregnant body. She groaned, feeling like a complete ass.

She carried the bag into the break room but shifted it behind her back and closed the door without taking her eyes off him. He was studying the coffee in his cup.

"Look, Kate, I can't change who I was before we were together. I can only ask you if I have ever given you legitimate reason to question my faithfulness to you."

He looked up as she approached him, and he noted with relief that her eyes were softer, less guarded. As he watched she brought her hand from behind her back, the little gift bag swinging from the crook of her index finger. He held his hands up in defense. "That's for…"

"Shut up, I know who it's for, and I have to say, few things make a woman feel _more_ like an idiot than finding a gift from her husband right after she has accused him of horrid things. This, believe it or not, was actually the cause of the trouble. I could smell it, and…you're right, the hormones are making me crazy, all I could think was 'Damnit, he screwed her."

Rick flinched with distaste at her use of vulgarity. She could almost read his thoughts. "See, I don't _talk_ like that. More evidence I'm losing it."

She looked miserable. He reached out and folded her into a hug. "It's ok…" he whispered into her hair. "You've got a triple dose of everything right now. Tell you what this does mean…"

"What?" Kate asked, hating the way her voice warbled.

"I'm going to have to be a lot more clever about hiding your Christmas presents."

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_**Reviews are better than chocolate, because once you've enjoyed the chocolate, it's gone, but I can read my reviews over and over. Since it's Valentine's day, and chocolates don't travel so well via email, how about some review love?**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Two hours after she'd let it slip to the boys that she had not one but three babies on board, she sought out Lanie for lunch. They sat in a booth at La Bonne Soup, enjoying bread bowls full of thick, rich goodness to warm them against the December cold. Kate had ordered a berry yogurt smoothie and a big cookie to go with her meal, a soup chock full of chunks of potato and chicken and broccoli. Lanie eyed her tray. "You know, Kate, I'm all for feeding a pregnant body but you know you only need to up your intake by 300 calories a day, right?"

"Well, in my case…900." She didn't elaborate, letting Lanie literally do the math.

"900? Well you're a little skinny but I wouldn't classify you as the kind of undernourished that would warrant that intake. You'd need to be feeding more than one fetal mouth…" Her eyes bugged out as the pieces fell into place. "Multiples? You're carrying multiples?"

Kate chuckled. "Triplets, actually."

"What did your dad have to say about that?"

Kate smiled fondly, remembering her call to her dad the night before. _"Oh Katie, you're going to be a fantastic mom, your mother would have been so proud." _

"He's happy for me. He's especially happy that there's going to be plenty of babies to pass around at family get-togethers. Martha and Chet are thrilled to the gills, too."

Rick had called to break that news. _"Mother, you officially have three times the amount of spoiling ahead of you. Kate's carrying triplets!" _He'd had the wisdom to pull the phone away from his ear, fully aware that his mother's vocal training allowed her to hit several octaves as she expressed her joy.

* * *

Alexis had been home with them for days. Rick had arranged to pick her up the moment her last final was done. He had missed her terribly during her first semester of college. The first night she was home he had challenged her to a laser tag match. Kate had laughingly watched from the couch, resisting the temptation to warn either of them when the other was near. It had ended in a draw, when they shot one another at precisely the same moment.

She'd spent the next few days dividing her time between her friends from high school and her family.

One day she came home from shopping with a beaming smile on her face. She approached Kate, sitting at the island in the kitchen. "What have you been up to?" Kate asked. Alexis merely placed a small gift bag before her.

Inside the bag was an ornament in the figure of a pregnant woman, with "Christmas 2011" in delicate gold writing across the bottom. Together they went to the tree and found a suitable spot for the ornament. Rick descended the stairs and found them in a sniffling embrace. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Wordlessly they'd pointed to the ornament. He studied it before wrapping his long arms around the two women for a group hug.

Now he brushed the ornament with his knuckle before slipping his packages under the tree. One benefit to owning the loft was that he still had a couple of secret hiding places, including a false bottom bookcase, which was where he'd kept the parcels secured from his girls until this moment. He resisted the temptation to poke at the gifts with his name on the tags, but only because Kate warned him that she MIGHT have obtained a dye pack from one of the bank security people, and he MIGHT pay for his snooping with a purple face.

He rose and began to cook breakfast, knowing that the smell would roust both of them from their beds.

Sure enough, by the time he had the hot chocolate blended, they were trudging down the stairs in matching Christmas jammies, an early gift from him. He was used to the sight of his daughter in such attire, after all, it was a tradition that he had observed every year of Alexis' life. When he'd gone shopping this year, for the first time ever he blessed rather than cursed the fact that he was forced to shop in the ladies' department, because now he could shop for Kate, too. The image of the sassy Detective Beckett garbed in flannel footie pajamas adorned with whimsical flying reindeer would live in his memory (and that of his phone) for months to come.

After breakfast they carried their cocoa mugs, Alexis swirling a candy cane in hers, to the living room. Rick disappeared into his office for a moment and returned wearing a fuzzy Santa hat. Kate took a seat on the couch while Alexis adopted a squaw pose on the carpet beside her. He selected gifts of similar size and shape for his wife and his daughter and laid them in their laps, then sat back and watched with perverse joy. Though the boxes were large enough to hold a ream of paper, the gifts themselves weighed far less than the wrapping. He had purchased gift cards, iTunes for Alexis and Java Loft for Kate, then wrapped them in yards of paper. The exasperated looks they gave him were tempered by the amounts on the cards. He further redeemed himself in their eyes by presenting them each with a two pound box of gourmet chocolates. He whispered in Kate's ear "This is the one I was afraid you'd sniff out."

Typically child-like, he began hunting among the packages for one addressed to him (as if he didn't know the location of every single one already). Shopping for him had been tough for Kate. What did one get for the man who usually had the latest version of every cool toy? It was Lanie who had put her onto something he actually didn't own. She directed him to the parcel in question and watched as he sat down on the couch next to her. He tore into the wrapping and let out a gasp as he revealed the contents. "A digital microscope? That is SO cool! How did I not know about this?"

Openly pleased, she gently turned the box in his hands to show him the various features. "You hook it up to your computer, and you can make little movies, or snap pictures. It magnifies things up to three hundred times." His features lit up even further, if that were possible, as he contemplated the possibilities. It was all she and Alexis could do to keep him from fetching his laptop and getting it all started. They coaxed him into putting it aside by reminding him that they still had to open presents from him.

After Alexis opened a complete set of jeweled hair clips from Kate, in an array of colors that would match any outfit, she directed Rick to a large box with a tag that read 'To Mom and Dad'. They opened it to find a crocheted afghan in earth tones, suitable for their bed or the couch. "For when you guys get all cuddly."

Remembering the little bits of yarn she'd seen in the trash in Lex's dorm room, Kate gasped. "_You_ made this for us."

Alexis shrugged and blushed. "One of the girls on my floor taught me. It's actually sorta relaxing, I just brought it with me when I sat in the lounge. It got me through a ton of boring dorm meetings, too."

Rick reached under the tree and then came to stand before Kate with his hands behind his back. He handed her an envelope with a photo folder inside. The picture was of a starry sky, with one star labeled 'KBC143'. "I would give you all the stars in the sky if I could, but apparently I had to settle for just one."

"143?" she asked.

"The number of letters in the words 'I love you'" he explained.

Kate grinned and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Hey Lex, would you mind getting me some more cocoa?" she asked, holding out her mug. Her hand pressing on Rick's knee silenced the offer she knew he would make to get it instead. After Alexis was out of earshot, Kate whispered to him, "I have a couple more presents for you, but you'll get them upstairs, later." She chuckled quietly at his expression, knowing his wheels were turning in more ways than one.

That night, Kate dressed in a red satin teddy with a white ostrich feather border. The outfit was held closed by a thin white satin ribbon tied in a bow between her breasts. She retrieved a long narrow envelope from her nightstand and presented it to him. He sat up in bed and extracted a small booklet. As he flipped through the pages she had printed up, his grin got bigger and bigger. She had created a coupon book, full of naughty offerings. Nude massages, morning 'service', midnight picnics in bed. There was one that was interestingly 'G' rated: 'Instant Forgiveness'. He pointed to it and quirked an eyebrow. "Where can I get more of these?"

She gently took the booklet from him and laid it aside, then guided his hand to the little bow and encouraged him to unwrap his favorite present of all time.

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_**Thanks to all who continue to review, alert and favorite! Every last one of you is AWESOME!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**I haven't done the disclaimer in a good long while, so... No, don't own these characters. I'm only borrowing them from ABC, thank you very much.**

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Kate listened as Rick knocked on the door to Alexis' dorm room. They'd come down to bring the few things she'd forgotten when she returned from winter break, plus some college student essentials: a hot pot, with three packets of ramen noodle soup tucked inside, microwave popcorn, and a roll of quarters for the laundry machines. Hearing no response, he placed the box he'd been juggling on the carpet and fished his phone from his jacket pocket. He fired off a text to his busy-bee daughter. Hey, Pumpkin, we're here at your room, where are you?"

While awaiting a response, he shifted uncomfortably. "I realize this is the part where you get to say 'told you not to have that third cup of coffee' but I've got to find the facilities."

"We passed them at the beginning of the wing. I'll wait here for her." Kate responded. At 14 weeks, she already had a crowding problem inside her belly, necessitating more frequent pit stops. Consequently, everywhere she went, her first action was to note the location of the nearest bathroom.

Rick paused at the rest room door. He didn't see a gender designation on it, which made him wary, as did the "Please knock" sign. He complied and physically rocked back with surprise when both a male AND a female voice invited him to enter. His need to answer the call of nature was temporarily forgotten as he contemplated the meaning of this development. Had he caught a couple of frisky students in the act? But then why in hell would they be allowing entry, especially not knowing who might be on the other side of the door? What sort of den of iniquity was this?

Kate looked down the hall to see Castle just staring at the door with a confused look on his face. "Rick? What's the problem?"

Stabbing his finger at the door, he stage whispered "There's a boy AND a girl in there."

"Yeah, so? It's a flex floor, the bathrooms are co-ed here." She watched 'confused' shift over to 'horrified' and covered her mouth. "Oh…Alexis didn't tell you about that, did she? She said you would freak, but I tried to tell her you were getting used to the fact that she was an adult…now…and you're not hearing any of this, are you?"

When the door opened and none other than the strawberry blonde Alexis emerged, blurting out a surprised "Hi, Dad!" her father went from 'horrified' to positively apoplectic. Praying she would be fast enough to stop him from causing a scene, Kate hurried down the hall as quickly as she could, now that her already sizeable tummy was throwing off her balance. She reached them just as his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. She motioned Alexis down the hall to her room, then grabbed Castle by the collar. "Listen to me," she said firmly, giving him a small shake. "You came down the hall on a mission, remember, too much coffee? You go in and take care of that, _then_ come down to Lex's room."

Gaping like a fish, he stared after his daughter's retreating back. "You can talk to her in a minute, when you've _calmed down,_" Kate admonished.

He nodded and hesitantly pushed the door open, nearly losing his balance when the door was opened the rest of the way from the inside. A young man with a growth of scraggly hair on his chin nodded and slid past him, disappearing into a room two doors down.

Rick locked himself into one of the stalls, his mind reeling. What was Alexis doing in here with that boy? The rational part of his brain answered that she was merely in here at the same time, and there were two stalls. Finishing, he peered around the corner and spotted two sinks. While washing his hands he looked in the mirror, past his shell shocked expression, to the twin shower stalls behind him. Wait. That meant that a boy could come in here while Alexis was _showering? _So not cool.

He dried his hands and took a few calming breaths. He reminded himself that his daughter was level headed, and if he went back to her room shouting like a maniac, she AND Kate would likely unload on him.

He headed back down the hall, where Alexis' door now stood open. She and Kate were seated on the bed, heads together. They were holding the latest black and white sonogram picture, cooing over the tiny little limbs that were now visible.

They both looked up at him warily. Alexis began. "Dad, sorry I didn't tell you about the bathroom thing. I didn't think it was a big deal. It was weird at first but I got used to it."

"But…but…_Alexis_…they…boys…can just…_come in_?To _your_ bathroom?"

His daughter regarded him patiently. "Dad, it's their bathroom too. That's why the sign is there. Everybody is really considerate. If you want, you can say 'Wait a minute' and they do. Besides, there is one all male bathroom and one all female bathroom, so no one is forced to go someplace they are not comfortable about."

"You sure you don't want to move to an all girls dorm? Maybe an all girls college?"

She addressed him firmly, as one does when dealing with the irrational. "Dad. It's fine."

Since he still looked troubled, Kate quietly spoke up. "Honey, why don't you go down and get the other box." He nodded his agreement, grateful for the opportunity to get some fresh air.

When he returned, he heard his girls in conversation. He paused out of their line of sight, curious. Alexis' voice was enthusiastic, as she always was about school. "We had a really cool discussion in women's studies class today, all about gender roles. It got me thinking though." She lowered her voice. "How come you hear about female dominatrixes, but not their male…" she seemed to be at a loss for words, "counterparts?"

Rick smothered a strangled cough. This wasn't really happening, was it? Hadn't his day been tough enough already? He strained to hear his wife's response.

Kate heard the noise from beyond the doorway, and tried to make her chuckle sound like a response to Alexis. "Well, that's probably more of a question for your professor, but I suspect it's because in our culture, male domination is more the rule than the exception." Winking at Alexis and gesturing to the doorway, she raised her voice for the benefit of her eavesdropping husband. "Not in THIS family of course, but…"

THAT got him. Indignantly he appeared in the doorway. "Kate, do you really think it's appropriate to be telling her this stuff?"

"See, even now. He's not going to order me to stop talking…" she offered him a knowing smile "because he knows that in THIS relationship, we are _equals._" This time she threw a significant glance his way, laced with enough reminder of the night at the cabin when things had been imbalanced that he actually blushed. Turning back to Alexis, she continued. "And that's as it should be, and at the risk of going all 'afterschool special' on you, whenever you are in a relationship, if the dynamic doesn't feel right, you speak up. If it doesn't change, walk away."

"Well, now that that's all settled, let's see what's in this box, huh?" interjected Castle, desperate for a subject change. He produced some cookies, hot cocoa packets and other goodies for a growing college student's late night snacking needs.

"Ooh Kate, speaking of cookies. You know how you said you were mad that you can't eat cookie dough right now?"

Kate glowered a little and grumbled. "Yeah, no more raw eggs for me. Thanks for the reminder."

Alexis hopped off the bed and went into her cube fridge, producing a small rectangular container. "Try this."

Kate peered in and selected a chocolate coated…something. She popped it in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Oh, that's yummy, but…"

"It's fine. Cookie dough truffles, no eggs. I was talking to Inara from down the hall, she's a culinary major, about how bummed you are. She asked her pastry teacher and they came up with these. I already emailed you the recipe."

"Oh, wow." Kate ate another, then licked her fingers. Pointing to Rick, she decreed, "You want a happy pregnant wife? Keep me well supplied with these."

"Yes Ma'am," he intoned, with a wink at Alexis.

After they'd visited for a while, Rick could see Kate was getting tired, but was not likely to admit it. "Listen, pumpkin, we've got to get going. I have some stuff I've got to do."

They left, and Kate consoled him as he struggled to wrap his mind around the fact that his daughter was, indeed, growing up.

* * *

**For anyone interested, the cookie dough truffles are real. PM me if you'd like the recipe. I found it online and currently have a couple of pregnant friends loving me for it.**

**Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. A lot of writers say it, but it's totally true, reviews are motivation, so...Please?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

Rick entered the bedroom and began to undress. He cocked his head to the side with confusion as he spotted something out of place on Kate's nightstand. His bemused chuckle got an answer from the bathroom. "What's so funny?"

"My darling, I love you, but I think that absent-mindedness problem of yours is getting worse. You brought up the bottle of honey by mistake, instead of your tea cup."

She appeared in the bathroom doorway in a sheer gown of pale blue. Nothing was left to the imagination, including her beautifully rounded belly.

The look she gave him made his mouth go dry. "No mistake. That's for us."

"Because that craving to put honey on everything has just joined forces with your gestationally enhanced hormones?" he asked, not quite sure if he should be turned on or just plain frightened.

She nodded slowly, causing his loins to tighten further. She advanced on him, finishing the disrobing job that he had begun. He found himself seated on the edge of the bed. When he read the intent in her eyes as she reached for the honey, he was certain that no other innocuous bear-shaped bottle had ever played a role in something so obscene. He scooted backwards, luring her onto the bed with him. At 15 weeks along, he didn't like the idea of her kneeling on the floor, particularly since what she seemed to be planning would very likely leave him too weak to help her up afterwards.

She uncapped the bottle and reached for him. He let out a small startled cry when he realized she was going right for the most sensitive place. She carefully drew a shape, then bent forward and traced the shape with her tongue. Due to the stickiness of the honey, she was only able to lick away a small amount with each pass, so it took several to properly clean him off. By the third time, he could actually feel the shape she was making, he was so sensitized. He let out a slightly maniacal laugh. He really was _not_ fond of the expression, but it was too perfect NOT to think it. She'd drawn a heart on his…hard-on. He sat up while he still could form rational thought and urged her up to lay beside him. He kissed her, tasting the honey on her tongue.

"Mmm, that's good. I'll have to try some myself." He gently stripped off her gown and set it aside, then took the bottle and drizzled a thin line starting at the base of her neck and continuing along her collarbone and down the valley between her breasts, which were even bigger and more beautiful thanks to the pregnancy hormones. He lapped at the honey with the relish of a cat with a saucer of cream, beginning at her stomach and working upward. When his lips reached her neck again he could feel the vibration of the low moan she was emitting. He nuzzled and sucked at her earlobe to distract her before pulling away, bottle in hand again. This time he drew a spiral pattern on each of her breasts, working inward toward her nipples, before following her example and tracing the line lightly again and again with his tongue. Her back arched, pushing herself toward him. Beyond words, she found his hand and drew it down to her center, silently asking him to grant her release. It took barely half a dozen strokes of his finger to break the bubble of tension, and she nearly wept with relief.

As the fog cleared from her brain she smiled her gratitude to him. She shifted and maneuvered until she was straddling his lap. Pointing to her honey smeared body she said "I think you missed some…"

"Oh, my goodness, you're right. Well, far be it from me to leave a job unfinished." He licked and nipped at her until she became restless and fidgety again.

"Here, you're working _so hard, _let me help you," she breathed. She pulled him into a tight embrace. When they separated, some of the honey had transferred to him, and she took her turn licking at his chest. He groaned and jerked when she flicked her tongue across his pebbled nipple. He reached between them and positioned himself, then pulled her onto him, laying back as he went. Their hands found one another and their fingers interlaced. Now she could lean forward as she needed, and his strong arms would brace her. She rocked back and forth, feeling another climax building. Their eyes locked and the sheer intensity that each found in the other's face was enough to send them both over. He rolled to the side carefully so that she came to rest on the mattress, caressing her face, her shoulder, her belly. Cradling her face again he whispered "I love you. What do you say we go get cleaned up?"

When she nodded, he helped her up and into the shower, where he lovingly washed her clean. She looked tired, so he coaxed her to lean against the wall before quickly scrubbing himself down. He toweled them both off and helped her into some pajamas before tucking her in bed. She preferred to lay on her side these days, so he spooned in behind her and draped a protective arm across her stomach.

"Love you too" she whispered sleepily, before nodding off.

* * *

Rick woke alone the next morning. Before he had time to wonder where she was, her panicked voice reached his ears. "Rick!" He bolted out of bed and fairly ran toward the voice.

"Kate, what?" He hit the bottom step to find Kate standing in the middle of the kitchen floor, staring at a mess of broken eggs and milk and…crying.

"I was trying to surprise you, but then I bumped off the counter, and I dropped the bowl and…I'm afraid to move, my luck I'll slip on the wet floor and end up on my ass. Could you…?" she gestured to the mess.

"Of course," he murmured, reaching for the towels that hung next to the sink and laying them at her feet like an old fashioned gentleman would lay his cape in a puddle. She crossed his towel bridge and swiped at her eyes.

"Stupid hormones, getting worked up over such a little thing," she grumbled.

"Don't worry about it. When Meredith was pregnant with Alexis, she used to…"

He was busy wiping up the mess, so he missed the flash of danger in her eyes. There was, however, no missing the way she hauled him to his feet by his shirt collar. He decided that the prenatal vitamins were working too well, if they gave her that kind of strength.

"Richard _Alexander_ Edgar _Rogers_ CASTLE! I understand that you've gone through this pregnancy experience before, and you might be tempted to relate your…charming…anecdotes. I, however, have not. I would very much appreciate it if you would _try_ to refrain from making comparisons between me and the Deep Fried Twinkie. I'll even make you a deal. I'll allow you…three…such comparisons, throughout the rest of my pregnancy. If you go over that number, there WILL be consequences. And I WILL be counting." She found that the tirade left her short of breath, especially since the little ones pressing up on her diaphragm were making the job of filling her lungs more and more difficult every day. Panting, she made her way to the couch and sat.

Rick decided the prudent thing to do at the moment would be to give her a few moments to compose herself. Ironically, what he'd been about to tell her was that Meredith's dramatic nature had been amplified, so that she'd been prone to wild, unpredictable mood swings. Not unlike Kate at the moment. The difference was that Meredith didn't have an off-duty gun at her disposal, thank God. He concentrated on cleaning up the spilled food. When the job was done, he went to sit with her on the couch. It was hard to judge the level of contrition needed here. He decided to begin with actions, because his words seemed to get him in trouble. She was still sniffling, so he grabbed the box of tissues and gently blotted her cheeks. Then he drew an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. When he finally did chance some words, they ran right into what Kate was saying.

Her "I'm sorry" met his "You're right" head-on. They both chuckled, breaking the tension. Rick ventured into the following silence. "Ladies first."

"I'm sorry for _how_ I said it, but I did mean what I said. I want this to be _our_ experience, special, you know?"

"Yes, I do know. The two of you are in completely different galaxies, and it's wrong of me to continually assume that all pregnancies run the same course. Now, may I earn some forgiveness by cooking you breakfast?"

* * *

_**Happy Castle Day everyone. Thanks for reading. Would you please leave a review? **_


	9. Chapter 9

A week later, Kate woke to a sweet floral smell tickling her nose. As she rose to consciousness she realized that more accurately, some floral scented _object _was tickling her nose. She opened her eyes to find Rick at the bedside, twirling a red rose in his hand. "Happy Valentine's Day, Darling." She accepted his kiss before trying to sit up. She braced her arms behind her and hauled herself more vertical. Her fingertips brushed something soft, like fur beside her. She turned to look and came face to nose with a gigantic white teddy bear clutching a red velvet heart. It had a red satin bow around the neck and little hearts on the bottoms of the feet where the toe pads would be.

"Since I'm leaving tomorrow, I figured you could cuddle with him in my absence. Just don't start liking him more than me." He placed the rose he was holding in a bud vase on her nightstand.

She heaved a sigh. "This is going to be a very difficult week."

"Just think of it as seven whole days where I can't drive you crazy. Except from a distance. Now get yourself dressed, and breakfast will be waiting downstairs. I'll go in with you today, since I will have time between signings and parties to do some writing during my trip."

* * *

When Kate rose from her desk to have one of her bathroom breaks, the boys sprung into action. They each grabbed one of Castle's elbows and hustled him into the men's locker room.

"Guys, what gives?" he asked, bewildered. "We're _way_ past the 'hurt her and we'll hurt you' speech, aren't we?" His smile faded when he saw the grave look on Esposito's face.

"We might have a problem. We've been getting some intel that the Russian mafia has reached out to its American-dwelling brethren, regarding your little 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' escapade on your honeymoon."

He left the rest of the thought incomplete, letting Rick put the pieces together. When he did, his eyes widened. "Oh shit. And I'm leaving town. No, I'll just cancel." He shook his head resolutely.

"No, if you do that, it will put Kate wise. We don't know for certain when or even if they will make a move, and we figure she doesn't need the added stress."

"Yeah, but when she finds out we've been keeping something from her…"

"It's gonna be cop's nuts roasting on an open fire, yeah, we know," Ryan interrupted. "Bright side, when she's done filleting us, maybe she'll be too tired to kick your ass."

"What a comforting thought, thank you."

* * *

He left the next morning for his book publicity tour. Seven cities, seven exhausting days away from his wife. When they kissed goodbye he hoped she would attribute the reluctance and worry on his face to simple 'going to miss you' stress.

That night he called to check on her. "Hey, Babe, how are you feeling?"

"Ugh. The heartburn has been really bad today. You know, we should really think about buying stock in an antacid company. If even half the pregnant women in the world go through this, we should easily make enough for three college funds."

He groaned softly in sympathy. When it had started, she'd written it off as too much spicy food. But then she was feeling it after the blandest of meals. They had looked it up online and found that relaxation of the sphincter at the top of the stomach allowed for reflux. She'd taken to keeping a bottle of the tablets handy everywhere: desk drawer, beside the couch, and in her nightstand. The look of misery on her face the day she ran out had him keeping a small roll in his pocket now, just in case.

"Well, I've got something to make you feel better."

"You're coming home tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sorry, no. A mutual friend of ours is holding a gift for you."

"Oh?" She eyed the door, expecting the buzzer to sound. It would be just like him to orchestrate a visit from someone to keep her company.

"You sound surprised. That's good, that means you haven't found it yet. Go check out the velvet heart the bear is holding. There's a zipper on the back side of it."

She followed his instructions and withdrew a black velvet pouch from within the stuffed heart. Inside the pouch was a platinum bracelet with dozens of tiny heart charms dangling from it.

"It's gorgeous, thank you. I miss you already."

"I know. I miss you too."

They wrapped up the call with a promise to talk every night. As she folded the phone closed, the door buzzer did indeed sound. Kate made her way to the door and chuckled with surprise when she checked the peep hole.

"Esposito, what brings you here?" she asked as she stepped back to admit him.

"I'm here for poker night!"

"We cancelled, remember, Rick's out of town doing a promotional thing. We talked about it at the station just a couple of days ago." She looked at him suspiciously.

"Oh yeah, right," he replied vaguely. He looked around, taking particular interest in the windows.

"Are you…You're not checking up on me, are you?"

He hung his head a little. "Listen, I've got sisters, and you're just like one of them to me. Yeah, it's backward and old fashioned, but…"

"Javier, really, I can take care of myself, and besides, this is a secure building. Go _home_."

He knew she'd eventually make him pay for what he was about to do, but maybe in the interim he could get her to see that it was for her own good. "Really." He gauged the angle to be certain it was safe, then reached out and gave her shoulder a shove, hard enough to knock her off balance so that she landed on the couch. "You still sure about that?"

She merely glared at him when he extended a hand to help her to her feet. "Look, Kate, I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I needed to prove a point. Mentally you're still as sharp as you ever were but physically you are at a disadvantage right now. Just let me do the cave man thing. Besides, if something happens to you, Castle's never going to forgive me, or himself for leaving you alone."

He closed his eyes and swore inwardly as she perked up. "Sooooo, Castle knows about your 'babysitting' plans?"

"Yeah, but give him a break, ok? He's an expectant father."

"Was it his idea?" she demanded.

"That depends," he evaded.

"On what?"

"On whether you're going to give him a gold star or a beating the next time you see him." She merely quirked an eyebrow, waiting. "We all sorta came to the idea together."

She sighed. "All? Does this mean I can expect Ryan to develop amnesia tomorrow night and show up here with the same stupid excuse, or will his be more interesting?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I guess you'll just have to see, won't you."

She was alarmed as another thought hit her. "_Please _tell me I'm not going see the Captain on my doorstep."

"Probably not…"

They sat and talked for a while. Before Castle had come along, they'd occasionally drawn stakeout duty together, and passed the time exchanging histories. This felt a lot like that. Eventually the fatigue of the day caught up to her, and she started fighting yawns. After the third one, Esposito pinned her with a look. "Don't feel like you have to play hostess to me. Go on to bed. I'll just crash here on the couch."

"Javier, don't be ridiculous. There's a guest room upstairs, last door on the left." He nodded his thanks and bade her goodnight.

She went up to bed, but a couple of hours later, she woke with a grumbling stomach. The glass of milk she fetched from the kitchen took the edge off the hunger, but, unbidden, a desire for pizza hit her. For once she was happy to live in the city that never slept. She called and placed an order to Pompeii Trattoria, and was told it would be twenty minutes. While she waited she channel surfed, even spotting Rick in a blurb on one of the entertainment shows.

Before she knew it a half hour had passed. She was just about to call to complain when the buzzer sounded. Checking the peep hole, she spied the logo on the man's baseball cap and slid back the bolt to admit him.

As he placed the pizza carrier on the table where she'd indicated, he spoke. She expected to hear a dollar figure and was thrown completely off guard by his words. "_A kak dyela sevodnya vecherom, Katya?" (_How are things going this evening?)

"_Horosho," _she replied automatically. She then froze. How the hell did he know she spoke Russian, and that she went by Katya?

"My comrades in Moscow send their greetings. They say, you should not concern yourself with their business dealings."

With that, he pulled a large knife out of the pizza carrier. Normally her response to a threat would be anger, but being a mother had done something to her, made the fear louder in her head. She opened her mouth to yell but he pointed the blade at her.

"Let us not disturb your husband. He will need his rest. After all, it takes energy to mourn the passing of his wife…and his unborn child," he finished with an ugly grin.

She slid her hands into her robe pockets and hope flared within her as her fingers brushed her phone. She cast her eyes down, looking defeated. She carefully slid it open, grateful she had turned the beep off on the keypad. In her boredom the first night of Castle's absence, she'd taught herself the blind texting trick as a way to surprise him. Now it would save four lives. She sent a 911 text to Esposito upstairs.

Javier woke to the sensation of his phone vibrating under his pillow. He was already sitting up as he checked the display, and his fingers were wrapped around the door frame by the time he finished reading it. Fortunately his logical brain was operating at full power, and he realized that silence was needed. If making noise were ok, she would simply have yelled for him. He crept to the top of the stairs and the adrenaline rushed through him as he saw her predicament. He managed to catch her eye and motion to somehow get the guy out of the living room.

Kate knew from his words that her would-be attacker had a sadistic side, playing off fear. If expediency were his style he'd simply have blitz attacked her when she opened the door and been gone.

She raised her head and willed herself to cry. It took little effort, thank you hormones. "Please, you don't have to do this," she begged, backing away.

"Actually, I do. I have been given a job, and one does not leave such jobs incomplete. It would be bad for my health."

She backed up further, out of view of the stairs. The thug followed, seeming to enjoy the cat-and-mouse game. She began to wail. "No, please. Listen, my husband has money. You could take it, go away, never have to work again. Oh PLEASE!"

"_Molchi! _Shut up, do not wake the neighbors!" he snarled, bringing his arm up to backhand her.

The volume of her crying covered the sound of Esposito's gun cocking right before it touched the hit man's temple. Javier's voice was lower and more lethal sounding than she'd ever heard it when he warned the man. "Just give me an excuse, motherf- You are under arrest for criminal threatening of a police officer."

Her tears went from crocodile fake to bone-melting-relieved real, and she turned away to compose herself. She was stunned to hear another familiar voice, and spun around."

"Somebody call for trash pickup?" Ryan, cheerful but tired, stood in the open doorway.

"Took you long enough."

"Yeah, well cuffing a three hundred pound lookout takes work."

Incredulous, Kate looked from one to the other. "Y-you…both…knew about this didn't you? That's why the 'surprise' visit." She picked up the knife that the hit man had dropped. "You _knew…_and…didn't…tell… me!" she exclaimed, punctuating each word by alternately pointing at them with the blade.

They were pretty sure she wouldn't actually try to cut them, but just to be safe, Ryan pulled out his phone and hit a speed dial key. He put it to his ear while watching her warily. "Uh yeah Sir, it's all over. All except the part we were most worried about. Yes, Sir. Just a second." He put the phone on speaker and held it out. Captain Montgomery's voice issued from the phone.

"Beckett! Put the weapon down, now. That's an order." She was so startled by his apparent omniscience that she dropped the knife and sat on the couch. She was dimly aware of a pair of uniformed officers taking the 'pizza guy' away. One odd thought occurred to her.

"Where the hell did my pizza go, anyway?"

* * *

_**Hopefully this satisfies those of you who wanted to see a resolution after their adventures in honeymooning, and myboygeorge, who wanted to see Kate flip out on the boys. Before you ask, yes, I will be writing something about her interaction with Castle about keeping that secret. Next chapter. Meanwhile...Four chapters in four days! That deserves a reward, right? Review, please!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**I hit 100 reviews with the last chapter, and I owe a thank you to the following people, who have reviewed nearly every chapter: gmay, myboygeorge, TappinCastlefan and Beckett NYPD, and lastly to Tango Mike Charlie, who I can **_**always**_** count on. There is a list ****as long as my arm of other folks who have seen fit to jot down their very nice thoughts, and I am grateful to every single one of you.**

* * *

When Rick arrived home from his tour, it was technically their eighth day apart, since it was after midnight. He'd done his last reading in New Hampshire, then caught a red-eye, rather than stay over and return home in the morning. He quietly let himself in, parking his luggage beside the door and slipping off his shoes before tip-toeing upstairs. As he crept into their bedroom, his foot tangled in something and he fell, hard. He waited, surprised the 'thud' didn't wake Kate. He got to his feet and made his way toward the silhouette under the mound of covers. He caressed the curves before sliding between the sheets. After a week it would feel like heaven to curl up with his wife. He was shocked when instead he found himself cuddling her teddy bear, which was the sole occupant at the moment. "Kate?" he whispered, then repeated himself, stronger this time. "_Kate!_" Where was she?

In his haste to get out the door he forgot about tripping earlier. He sprawled on the landing with an "oof", then stood up and gingerly rubbed his twice abused knees. He turned toward the bathroom to check for her, only to have his forward movement stopped by something hard poking him in the chest. Something, he thought with a horrible sinking feeling, that felt an awful lot like a gun barrel.

"Take what you want, just please don't hurt us. It's dark, I could never identify you, so…"

With that the hallway light flipped on, causing a brief shock of pain in his head. When his vision adjusted, he found he was standing face to face with none other than…

"Kate? What the hell are you doing?"

"Protecting _us_ from intruders, what else?" she responded, stroking her belly. "You never know when someone will invade your home, intent on doing you harm, and menace you with a knife…Oh _wait. _That already happened this week." Her voice had a dangerous edge to it. "And what are YOU doing, skulking around in the dark in the middle of the night."

"I was trying to surprise y—wait. What? WHAT? When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Like _you _didn't tell _me _that something was brewing? Maybe I figured if you were too chicken to stick around for the great Red invasion, you wouldn't be eager to return to face the wrath of your wife.

"Hold it. THAT is _not _fair. I was going to stay but the guys said it would make you worry. Besides I spoke to them the other night, they didn't tell me that anything had happened."

"That's because I swore them to silence. I pointed out that since they kept what they knew from me, they owed me. Poetic, don't you think?"

"Listen, you think maybe you could put that away now?" he asked, indicating the pistol still in her hand. "It's very distracting and making it extremely difficult to focus on my groveling."

She raised an eyebrow at him, then strode past him to the bedroom, bent to collect the clothesline she'd strung across the threshold, and put her gun back in the lock-box. She sat down on the bed and folded her arms across her chest, waiting.

He came to kneel before her, and she closed her eyes. She could feel the warmth of his palms as they rested on her thighs. She was basically ready to forgive him, if for no other reason than so that she could feel the comfort of his embrace. He would read that in her eyes, though, and she wanted to make him suffer just a little longer.

"Honey, please, forgive me," he begged. "If I believed they would REALLY come, I'd _never _have left. You have to know that. I'm so sorry that you went through that." He bent to rest his forehead on her leg, and with relief he felt her stroking her fingers through his hair. He straightened as a thought occurred to him. "How exactly _did_ you get through it, anyway?"

Her mouth twisted for a moment. "Esposito. Saved my ass."

"So I guess we're all lucky you weren't able to chase him off. I knew you would try. How'd he convince you to let him stay?" When she remained silent, he prompted. "Kate?"

"He…proved I wasn't Superwoman. Could we just leave it at that, maybe?"

"Of course." He stood and stripped down to his boxers, then coaxed her into the bed, tossing the bear aside. He made love to her with all of the passion that had built up over the week. Afterwards as they cuddled, he ventured a question. "The gun wasn't _loaded_, was it?"

"Guess you'll never know, will you?" she replied as she drifted off.

* * *

"Ok, I give up. Please help me?" Rick spun at the desperate note in his wife's voice. Her hands were pulling and fussing with the zipper of her formal dress. Fortunately he'd been able to commission the seamstress that did her ball and bridal gowns to craft something that looked elegant on Kate's increasingly pregnant frame. Chuckling, he crossed to her. He gently brushed her hands aside and dragged the zipper up.

"You know, you have a lot of faith in me, trusting me with the zipper. My natural instinct is to _unzip."_

"Yes, well, this is one of _your_ silly public appearances. I would have been happy to stay home, so if you really want me there, it's in your best interests to help me."

"Leave my pregnant wife by herself, again? No way, we learned what can happen when I do that. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"So dragging me out to yet another dog-and-pony show is better?"

He turned her gently so he could read her face. "Kate, if you are really not up for this, we can both stay home."

She debated briefly. Her heart melted at the earnestness in his face. He really _was _willing to face Paula's wrath for her."No, I'm already dressed. But you promise me plenty of dance floor time?"

"Absolutely. I can't believe you're volunteering."

"Yeah, well, for some reason, in your arms I still feel graceful. Not like a dancing cow, that comes in a few weeks." She peeked at his watch. "I'm going to go downstairs and…whoa..." She wobbled, grabbing his wrist for support.

Alarmed, he gave her a once-over. "What happened, what's wrong?" His voice was sharp with worry.

"Nothing. Stupid Gumby hormones!"

"Gumby?" he replied, confused.

"Since certain parts of a pregnant woman's body need to be more flexible…" she broke off at his grin. "For the birth process, you pig. Anyway, there's this wonderful hormone called Relaxin. I know, original name, right? Only it's not specific enough to only loosen pelvic joints, it loosens ALL the joints. My ankles have been particularly flimsy lately."

"And you want to _dance_?"

"Yes, because I have you to hang on to. I will, however, change into flat shoes. Now hurry up and finish getting ready."

Kate was on the second step from the bottom when he called out to her. "Honey, which tie do you think?" She rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder, waiting for Mr. GQ to come into view. As she shifted her weight, her ankle rolled again and she crumpled, her head striking the floor as she landed. The last thing she heard as she slipped into unconsciousness was Rick's terrified "KATE?"

Rick was headed to the top of the stairs when he heard the thud. "Kate?" When he saw her sprawled at the foot of the stairs, not moving, he screamed her name. He vaulted down the stairs three at a time, his instinct to pick her up, to cradle her, warring with the voices of every first aid instructor he had ever met. "Don't move her, don't move her" he told himself. He pressed his fingers to her neck and tears of relief welled in his eyes as he found a strong pulse. He was amazed to find his phone already in his hand. Not wasting time wondering about it, he dialed 911. Fighting to keep his voice calm enough to be understood, he answered the operator.

"Yes, please, I need an ambulance right away to 1043 Spring Street, the penthouse! My wife is 18 weeks pregnant, she's taken a fall and she is unconscious. I don't know how it happened, I was out of the room. She fell down some stairs but I don't know how many. Please hurry. No, I know, don't move her." Crouched beside her, he stared intently at her face, praying for some movement, some sign that she was coming around. "Kate, honey, wake up for me…" he crooned, rubbing her hand. He tried a sterner tone. "Kate! Snap out of it!"

After what felt like forever, there was a knock at the door. He raced to admit the paramedics, who were rolling a gurney. They knelt on either side of her, checking blood pressure, pulse, pulling up her eyelids to shine a penlight in them. Rick desperately wanted to be at her side, but he knew he would only be in their way. At one point he heard them murmur "The 18 weeks must be a mistake, she looks close to full term. Good fetal heartbeat." Anxiously he stepped forward.

"What about the other two, are they ok?"

The EMT looked at him blankly. "The other two what, sir?"

"Heartbeats! She's carrying triplets."

The EMT looked at him sympathetically. "We don't have the gear here to differentiate. As soon as we get her to the hospital, they can check that." She looked him over pointedly.

Rick looked down and realized he was barefoot, and he wanted to be ready to leave with them the second they headed for the hospital. He darted to the closet and jammed his feet into a pair of sneakers, grabbed a jacket from its hanger. He heard the words "collar" and "stabilize". When he looked over, her neck was wrapped with yellow foam and white plastic. They rolled her to her side and slid a back board under her, then lifted her onto the gurney.

As they packed up their gear, Rick made a single phone call. No longer attempting to hide his anguish, his voice was thick with tears as he spoke. "Mother…No, I'm not OK. I'm on the way to the hospital with Kate. There's been an accident. S-sh-she fell, I don't know how bad it is yet, but she won't wake up. I need you to make some calls. I'm leaving my phone here, just go through the directory and make the calls for me. Yes, I'm serious. The only person I want to hear from right now is strapped to a rolling bed, possibly fighting for her life. Yeah, I love you too. Bye."

Rick insisted on riding to the hospital in the ambulance. Begging had been involved, and the ambulance crew realized that short of sedating him on the spot, nothing would have kept him from his wife's side.

He sat in a chair in the waiting area while they examined her and performed their tests. After an eternity a nurse came and found him. "Mr. Castle? We ran an ultrasound and all three heartbeats are strong and healthy. However, your wife has a concussion, and is still unconscious. We just have to wait it out."

"Can I see her?" At the nurse's nod of assent, he dashed into the room. Kate was hooked up to monitors, but aside from that she merely looked like she was sleeping. He lowered himself into a chair beside the bed and took her hand.

He sat vigil until a gentle touch on his shoulder drew his gaze away from her face and into that of his mother. He let go of Kate's hand and rose to hug Martha. Over her shoulder he glimpsed an anxious Lanie in the doorway. He offered her a weak smile and beckoned her in.

"I didn't want to intrude, but she's my best…" Lanie's voice cracked.

"No, you don't, Dr. Parrish." Rick's voice was uncharacteristically terse, but no one would blame him, given the stress. "I…We…need you to keep a positive mindset. She'll be fine. She's a fighter, you know that better than any of us."

A patient but firm nurse told them that Kate's visitors must be limited, so Martha and Lanie walked, arm in arm, back toward the waiting area.

The minute hand had made one torturously slow pass around the clock on the wall when he heard a small "Oh" from the doorway. He turned to meet the stricken eyes of Alexis as she took in all of the wires and tubes leading away from the still form of her stepmother and confidant. She was flanked by Kevin and Javier, their postures rigid, protective. He understood immediately that, voluntarily or bidden by Martha, the boys had raced down to Rutgers and back to fetch his daughter for him. He stood and she flew into his arms.

"Daddy."

He nodded his thanks to the two men over her head as they discretely vanished down the hallway. He stroked her hair and she hugged his waist tightly, simultaneously seeking and offering comfort. He shushed her as though she were still a small child, not the adult she'd recently become. Since Alexis was family, she was allowed to stay for a little longer, before Rick sent her to wait with the others. He shook his head when she protested. "I'll send someone for you if there's any news. Go keep Gram company."

He told himself he was sending her away from him for her own good, and in a way it was. He wanted time to wallow, to berate himself for whichever of his stupid, selfish actions had brought them all to this place. Alexis would read him too well, and work hard to draw him out. In resisting her efforts, he was likely to hurt her feelings, and he'd be damned if he'd let another of his girls be injured in any way.

Hours passed. Shifts changed, but Kate's condition did not. He tried everything. He talked continuously, in the vain hope that she would wake, if only to tell him to shut up. He told her of his plans for their future. He even sent a prayer to whatever higher powers might be listening. Finally he played his last, desperate card, his voice urgent. "Kate, if you don't wake up, this minute, I…I'm…I'm going to tell Paula to leak it to the press that YOU posed for the Nikki Heat covers. I mean it Kate, I'll really do it."

Nothing, not even a twitch of response. He hung his head, deflated. Suddenly a slightly raspy voice reached his ear.

"You just try that, Castle, and _I'll _tell everyone you were a virgin when we married."

His head snapped up to find her smiling at him. He sobbed with relief. "KATE! Oh Honey. You scared the crap out of me, you know that?" he demanded.

Before she could respond, the doctor's jovial voice issued from the doorway. "Well, look who's awake. You must have a pretty hard head there, Mrs. Castle."

"It's Kate, please. And yes, I must. Why else would I have married this one?" she asked, jerking her thumb toward her madly grinning husband.

When the doctor asked him to step out so that an exam could be performed, Rick did so hesitantly, not really wanting to take his eyes off her. Still, he knew there was a whole waiting room of people that desperately needed the good news he was about to bring.

When he stepped into the room he found that even Roy Montgomery had joined the group, and was first to spot him in the doorway. "Rick?" Five more sets of eyes trained themselves on him, waiting.

The collective whoop of joy startled a passerby as he broke the news. "She's OK. She's awake and threatening me!"

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**_I hope everyone is ok with back-to-back drama chapters. I tried to balance them with a little levity, just like the show does. I'd very much like to hear your thoughts, so please review?_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_This chapter is on the short side, sorry, but hopefully it will still be enjoyable._**

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Kate and Rick made their way into the precinct, his hand still on her elbow. It had been a week since she'd been discharged from the hospital after an overnight observation following her accident. She'd grudgingly allowed the nurse push her in a wheelchair down to the waiting car the next morning, particularly after 'hospital policy' had been cited. After getting her settled in the back seat, Rick hurried around and slid in beside her, placing a hand on her knee. At the loft, the driver handed her garment bag off to the doorman, containing the formal dress she'd been taken to the hospital in. The doorman, relieved to see her in one piece, escorted them upstairs himself.

She'd followed doctor's orders and taken it easy for the whole week, and Rick had been the consummate attentive husband, waiting on her as much as she would allow, thinking up distractions like goading her into challenging him to a Scrabble rematch. As much as she loved the time together, she was itching to get back to the job, so this morning, after saying she was _fine_ for probably the six hundred and ninety third time, she'd dressed for work. So did he.

Apparently he had chosen to take the term 'shadow' literally, as in 'one's shadow is always connected to their body'. He seemed to believe that if he maintained some physical contact with her for at least twenty two hours of the day, he could keep her from further harm. At one point her patience wore out and she'd snapped at him. "Damnit, Rick, I am not a porcelain doll."

His response had come in a voice choked with the emotion he had not permitted himself all week, when he had been trying to maintain an upbeat tone. "Seeing you lying on the floor, so still, was the closest I've come to losing you since your apartment blew. I'll be damned if I do less than everything in my power to keep it from happening again." She'd sniffled and vowed to indulge his neurosis.

She noted a new case on the murder board as she waddled past. The guys greeted them with warm grins, and she jerked her head toward the board. "What have you got there?"

They outlined their case. John Hensen had been found outside his apartment building with a single puncture wound to the upper back. Lanie had ruled out shooting and the mold she had taken of the wound had yielded a mysterious thin conical shape, like some sort of spike. Kate stepped forward and reached for the photograph of the mold, then moved back to perch on the edge of the desk.

She studied it thoughtfully until she became aware of Ryan and Esposito murmuring to one another. Ryan stepped up with the marker in his hand. "Got something new?" she asked.

"Uhhh, no, not really. Just making some adjustments." He seemed uncomfortable, like he didn't really want to look at her. He glanced at the board and when she followed the look she was mortified. She glanced down to confirm her fears. Sure enough, there was dry erase marker residue all over the front of her sweater where it stretched over her belly. There was a corresponding empty space on the board from where her pregnant tummy had smudged and erased their work.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Guys, I'm SO sorry." She blushed furiously. She stepped forward to hand the picture back to him, but he just stared at her. His eyes kept flitting to the top of her head, seemingly confused. "Ryan. Something wrong?" she asked. She had an inkling of what was troubling him, but it took Castle to definitively put it together. At his light chuckle she turned to look at him. He was glancing back and forth between her and Ryan, and she noticed that his eyes were following a perfect horizontal line, as they were the same height.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he mimed zipping his lips. She turned back expectantly. "Ryan. Are you going to take this? I'm not getting any less pregnant here."

"No, I know, but did you get…_less tall?"_ he finally risked asking.

With that she marched over to Castle, palm out. "I _told_ you."

He produced a ten from his wallet and handed it to her. "Yes, I know. I really thought they'd be smart enough to be more sensitive." When the guys looked at him curiously, he elaborated. "She had to give up the heels, before they killed her. I told her no one would notice, and if they did, they wouldn't _say_ anything," he finished, glaring at Ryan.

Kate had returned to contemplating the murder board, staring, in particular, at a note about water in the wound track. She turned to the guys. "Any theories on where this water came from?"

"We were thinking someone tried to rinse out trace evidence."

Her brow furrowed. "Yeah but as it came out, it would still land on the body or the clothes. No, I think it's something…" She stared out the window, and suddenly her face broke into a triumphant grin. "I've got it. Icicle!"

"Icicle? Really?" snorted Esposito. "Beckett, you've been hanging with your writer hubby too long. Who knew wild-ass theories were contagious?"

Castle's expression was torn between wounded indignation and awestruck respect. He pointed a finger at Esposito. "Just for that, no more court-side seats for you." He turned to Kate. "And you, my adorable little grasshopper…"

"My own pint of double chocolate chunk ice cream tonight?" she asked hopefully, deliberately ignoring his use of 'little'. Without the heels, she was no longer nose-to-nose with him. More like nose-to-Adam's apple, which, her distractible and hormonal brain reminded her, was not a bad thing when he was wearing the right cologne. As a matter of fact, it had been his unprecedented self-control that had saved them from an embarrassing moment when the elevator doors opened this morning. His reply brought her attention back.

"Absolutely. Now let's call Lanie and maybe we can get your proof."

A phone conversation with the M.E. revealed that the water from the wound had been tested and found to contain trace amounts of…roofing tar. Armed with that knowledge, Kate made a suggestion that Lanie take another look at the body.

Getting off the phone she spun in her chair. "Good news guys. You aren't going to find a murder weapon."

"How, exactly, is that good news?"

"Well, because this wasn't a murder. Once we established that the means of death was, in fact, an _icicle_, Lanie also determined by the angle of entry that he could have been bent over and then skewered from above as it fell. This was just a freak accident," she finished smugly. She went over to her desk and held out her hand to Castle, palm up. Rather than slap it as she was expecting, he gently folded her hand so that her fingertips were touching, then gave her a 'feed the birds', her first.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry about the update delay, but my muse was on strike or something. All of a sudden she decided to tell me a whole chapter in one day.**

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Kate sighed contentedly as she settled back into the armchair, relishing a lazy Sunday morning. On the table at her elbow was a steaming cup of fruity-scented tea. As she began to flip through the April issue of one of the parenting magazines that had mysteriously started arriving in their mailbox, she paused at a top ten list titled 'useless games for mothers'. She laughed aloud when she got to number 9. 'Clue: After determining which child squirted mayo on the dog, you're ready to join the elite CSI team.' The laughter died when she realized she might _actually_ have such challenges ahead. Given that she was about to bring three (count 'em _three_) of the incorrigible Richard Castle's offspring into the world, the genetic dice pretty much had her screwed. She'd moved on to an article weighing the benefits of cloth diapers versus disposables when her phone rang. The caller ID window displayed 'Captain's office'.

"Good morning, sir, what can I do for you?"

"Morning, Beckett. Listen, I really hate to do this to you, and I know you're not really supposed to be in the field anymore, but I need a favor. I've got a high profile case and the commissioner breathing down my neck, so it's all hands on deck. Can you two go do a witness interview for me?"

"Sure, sir, we'd be happy to help." She jotted down the address he gave her, then set the magazine aside with a sigh. Taking a sip of her tea, she brought it into the kitchen to transfer it to a travel mug. She then made her way to Castle's office, where he'd gone earlier to write, and rapped lightly on the door. At the faint 'Come in', she opened the door and poked her head in. "Hey, Captain sends his apologies for disturbing us, but he really needs a witness interview done. Can you be ready in 15?"

He nodded absently, still typing away. She went up and got changed. She prided herself on her professional appearance, and she didn't feel that being pregnant needed to change that. Back downstairs she scanned the room and saw Rick…nowhere. She found him still parked behind his desk. "Sweetie, we've got work to do, would you mind?"

He glanced up at her. "Yeah, sure, just hang on a sec, I'm on a roll here."

Five minutes passed. She weighed her next words carefully. On the one hand it was an honest offer, but on the other hand she knew exactly the response she'd get from him, and she grudgingly accepted that this sort of 'guidance' (she hated the word 'manipulation') was sometimes necessary between a wife and her husband. "Honey, the Captain said he wanted both of us, but if you really can't tear yourself away here, I can go by myself…"

His head snapped up then, eyeing her with the intensity of a hawk. "The hell you will." Three keystrokes later he had shut his laptop and was moving around the desk. He dashed upstairs to get changed and was at her side exactly three minutes later.

When they got down to her car, she headed for the driver's door and stopped when he cleared his throat. She turned and found him right behind her, hand out for the keys. She shot him a withering look as she handed them over and made her way to the passenger side. "Don't look at me like that," he protested. "It's not my fault your stomach doesn't fit behind the steering wheel anymore."

"Isn't it?" she demanded once she'd settled in the passenger seat. "Who exactly gave me _these_?" she asked, pointing to her belly. "It sure as hell wasn't the Easter Bunny!" At 24 weeks, she looked like she was smuggling an oversized beach ball under her tunic.

Sheepishly he conceded her point. "Well, ok, that's true. Have I mentioned lately that the glow of motherhood has made you more gorgeous than ever?"

"Can it," she snapped. "Flattery's getting you nowhere right now. Just drive the damn car."

"Yes, dear."

He deftly blocked her lunge to twist his ear and quickly started the car. She gave him the address and he drove in silence.

They found their destination and made their way up to the apartment that Roy had sent them to. Kate pressed the buzzer and a moment later the door opened. Her badge and her jaw both dropped when she registered the occupant. No, make that occupants, plural, as in twenty or more, all familiar faces.

"Surprise!" they all shouted. Pastel streamers hung from the ceiling, framing a baby shower banner. She looked beyond Lanie and Jenny (who she now realized owned the address) to the familiar auburn tresses of Martha and Alexis. She glanced over her shoulder to Rick, who seemed equally dumbfounded. As their friends and family welcomed them, they finally shook off the shock. Kate noticed a few guys present, deducing that this was a 'jack and jill' type party, as opposed to 'girls only' She scanned the room for Roy, and found barely concealed mirth in his gaze.

"Gotcha!" he mouthed. He watched with amusement as Rick steered her over to a white rocking chair wrapped with pink and blue ribbons. Their most recent ultrasound had shown that one of the triplets was a boy, and another was a girl. The third one was playing 'shy', hiding behind his or her brother, and they decided that even if it shifted, its gender would remain a mystery until delivery.

When she was comfortable, Alexis came over and crouched to hug Kate. She eyed her stepdaughter. "So the whole 'I have to stay on campus and study' was just to throw me off?" she asked.

"Throw BOTH of you off," the beaming woman corrected. "We couldn't chance that Dad could keep quiet about this, but believe me it was NOT easy. Can you imagine trying to keep a secret like this from a detective AND a mystery writer?"

Martha took her turn next, carrying glasses of sparkling cider for both Kate and Rick. "Hello, darling. You look wonderful!" Since it looked like Kate was in good hands, Rick excused himself and returned a short while later carrying a plate for each of them. Hers was piled with cheese and fruit, plus some crab salad and crackers. After having a snack, she made a move to get up and mingle. Before she could, Lanie came over.

"Girl, don't you MOVE from that seat. Mohammad is definitely going to the mountain today."

"Did you just call me a _mountain_?"

Lanie was one of the few people who was immune to the Beckett glare. "Don't look at me like that. _I_ taught _you_ how to look like that."

Despite the ME's tone, Kate felt more like a freak show than a guest of honor, everyone waiting on her, waiting to talk to her. She was faintly relieved when, after a time, Jenny rang a bell to get everyone's attention. "Time for presents. Kate, I can tell you, you are sitting in your first present, with Kevin's and my best wishes. That rocker goes home with you, to be placed in your nursery."

She looked up at Rick, who had the good grace to look slightly repentant. "Does this have anything to do with your unusual indecisiveness about picking out furniture?"

He grinned. "Well, yeah, Ryan mentioned that he wanted to have something made for us, but wanted to be sure we didn't already have one. But I swear, that's the only thing I knew about."

Lanie took a post in a chair near them, pen poised over a notebook, ready to jot down the 'who gave what' details. She started with the rocking chair, not that they would easily forget that.

Next came the car seat and stroller 'travel system', from the Captain and his wife. The stroller would accommodate all three car seats, and the children could sit up in the stroller seats, lined up like little ducklings, once they were big enough. Since the stroller and three car seats and bases would have occupied half of Jenny's living room, they were presented with one seat and a picture of the stroller, with a note penned on it that the rest of the system would be delivered to their loft within the week. Kate murmured quiet words to Rick about the need to make space in their storage unit, until these items were required.

Given her medical background, it was appropriate that Lanie gifted them with a large first aid kit, plus extras of things that should not be shared, like nasal bulbs, and things frequently misplaced, like digital thermometers and nail clippers. In addition, the basket contained three of each of the most popular diaper rash creams and ointments, so that they'd have a chance to find what worked best on each little tushie. There were also a couple of baby "bibles", medical/developmental references that were considered standards in the child care community.

Alexis gave them a trio of bibs that, when laid side by side, read "My Big Sister" "Is The Best" "In The World". These were in a box that also held a leather bound album for baby pictures, with the words "The Castle Story" imprinted in gold ink across the cover.

Martha & Chet gave them a bathtub that could either stand freely on a tabletop or be placed in the kitchen sink. In the bathtub was a collection of matching washcloth/towel sets in every color of the pastel rainbow. They had also included a complete set of bath products, from baby wash to shampoo to soothing lotions.

Esposito had given them a high chair and a 'mess mat' to place underneath it. Karpowski gave a play gym mat with rainbows arching over it. From the rainbows dangled toys for baby to bat at. Paula, Rick's agent, had given them a diaper Genie and a large package of refills. Mayor 'Bob', though unable to attend, evidently shopped the same place Martha had, because he sent along a set of six fleece receiving blankets in pastel rainbow colors. His note read 'One to wash, one to use. Trust me on this.'

Even Patterson was in attendance, just so he could watch them open the pajama, onesie and matching bib collections with "Three of a kind" embroidered on them above various playing cards. Another set said "Full House" and was tied with a ribbon to a his-and-her t-shirt set for Kate and Rick.

When everything had been opened, the paper cleared away and the party guests graciously thanked, they had dessert, a three layer cake.

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_**A note of thanks to myboygeorge for planting the seed about a theme for gifts. Thanks also to all of you who continue to review, alert and favorite. You all make my day!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

Rick looked up at a peculiar shuffling sound. Kate was on her way through the kitchen in a light cotton muumuu. She was officially on maternity leave as of today so they were relaxing. He did a double take when he realized what was causing the unusual noise. "Are those…_my _slippers?"

She shot him an injured look. "Yes, but don't worry, my feet are clean. You saw to that last night, remember, after I admitted I couldn't see my toes, let alone wash them."

"No, that's not why I'm asking. What's wrong with _your_ slippers?"

"Too small. All my footwear is too small. I woke up as the Michelin woman this morning."

He hurried to her side. "Come sit down, let me see." His eyes widened as he gently removed the slippers. He looked up at her with concern. "Do you feel alright otherwise?"

"Well, other than a pounding headache and still feeling like a whale, sure, peachy." At twenty-eight weeks along, she was enormous, certain that with the next pound she gained, she'd be assigned her own zip code.

"Headache…" he repeated thoughtfully. After a few seconds contemplation, he studied her. "I think you should call the doctor's office."

"Over a headache?" she scoffed. "I will NOT be one of those alarmist women who calls for every little thing."

"Fine, then I'll be the alarmist husband, how's that? I think this could be serious. When Meredith was…"

"What have I told you about using those words?" she asked sharply.

"Yes, yes, I know, three chances. Trust me, this can count as ALL of them, I don't care. When Meredith was pregnant with Alexis, I did a lot of research." He took a breath to steady himself before continuing. "This could be pre-eclampsia. The headache could be caused by high blood pressure, which could lead to far more serious things. Please, humor me?"

She nodded, subdued by his deadly serious tone. She grabbed her phone off the charger. Her OB-GYN office had been programmed into her speed dial, so with two keystrokes she was listening to the office's automated menu. She described her symptoms in a voicemail, left her phone number, then hung up. She was startled when it rang in her hand ten minutes later. She answered the nurse's questions, describing her headache, and adding information about the swelling in her legs when Rick pointed to them. She met his eyes with surprise and checked her watch. "Uh yes, sure, I can be there then. OK, thanks." She answered the question in his eyes. "They want to see me in an hour. Seems you were right to be worried."

* * *

Fifty five minutes later they were sitting in the waiting room. When the nurse appeared in the doorway, Rick jumped up as if shot from a canon. He helped Kate to her feet, through the door and onto the scale, then into the exam room. When the blood pressure reading had been taken and noted, they were left alone. Kate (for a change) meekly let Rick help her get changed into the gown the nurse had left for her.

She was barely back up on the exam table when Dr. Hathaway was knocking on the door. After reviewing the chart and examining Kate's puffy legs, she regarded them both. "Let's get some blood work done. I'm going to send you over right now, and have them do a stat read on it. Your husband might be correct, and if so, it's nothing to fool around with. Did you give us a urine sample?"

"No!" Kate snapped, without elaboration.

Dr. Hathaway blinked at her in surprise. "Can you go now?"

"That depends. Can you find someone to help me so I stop tipping over? Because I don't give a rat's ass WHAT the marriage vows said, I draw the line at having my husband help with _that."_

"Of course. I'll get Courtney for you."

That humiliating task completed, they went to the lab to get the blood drawn. They went to the cafeteria to grab a snack while the results were processed, then reported back to the doctor's office. Dr. Hathaway looked serious. "I'm afraid our suspicions were correct. All the signs point to pre-eclampsia. I'd like to get you admitted right away, see if we can't get that blood pressure under control."

They looked at one another, stunned. "What, for a few days?"

Dr. Hathaway looked at her evenly. "Possibly, but it's more likely you'll need to stay until we can deliver those precious packages you're carrying."

At each appointment they had discussed the growth of the babies, and she was on track for a c-section delivery at 32 weeks.

Kate quickly did the math. "But that's four weeks!" she sputtered. "You want me to stay in the hospital for four _weeks? _Why can't I just stay in my own bed? If anything happens, the paramedics are just a phone call away. Or we could hire a private nurse, maybe?"

"Kate, honey," Rick started. "Have you ever seen an ambulance stuck in rush hour traffic? Do you really want to take that risk?"

She glared at him. "This isn't the time for your imagination to be acting up. I'm not going to lay around for a month, being tended to, like some…some… queen termite, just a fat blob whose only job is to reproduce."

Rick smiled briefly. "Nice visual. My imagination must be rubbing off on you."

She looked at him petulantly. "I don't want to sleep alone for 28 nights."

"I'll stay with you as often as I can. Besides, we have the rest our lives together. There isn't anything more worthy of the sacrifice than this."

When she still looked stubborn, he crouched so that he was at eye-level with her, one hand resting on her belly. "Please, sweetheart. I can't stand the thought of losing any of you." As if sensing they were being talked about, one of the babies kicked right under his hand. "See, he agrees with me."

She smiled gently, rolling her eyes. "Starting the ganging up thing a little early, are we? Well enjoy it while it lasts, because I have a feeling that the mystery guest is female, and then you'll be outnumbered."

He winked at her. "I'm already outnumbered. Between you, Alexis, Mother, now little sister in there. Even if the mystery guest is a boy, I'm still never going to win. My only hope lies in the fact that I will be paying their allowance."

She leaned in to kiss him, resting her forehead against his. "You'll come visit a lot?"

"So often you'll be sick of me. Just think, you won't have to fight me for the covers."

The spell was broken by Dr. Hathaway softly clearing her throat. "I think we should get you headed over to the Family Center."

"What, now? Can't I even go home to pack?"

"I'm sure Rick can handle that for you. I would really rather that you be on monitors as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, I'm going to have Courtney take you over in a wheelchair."

The medical office building was connected to the hospital by a glassed-in walkway. Kate looked longingly out the windows, wondering how long it would be before she could be outside again.

She was brought right to a room that really looked like it belonged in a hotel rather than a hospital. It had a couch and a small round table with two chairs. The couch, they were informed, was a convertible for family members who were staying over. There was a small refrigerator and a flat screen television with a DVD player.

A cheerful nurse bustled into the room and greeted them. "Hi, I'm Jen, I'll be taking care of you tonight." She opened the closet and pulled out a johnny, which had Kate groaning. "Yeah, I know. SO fashionable, right? If your doctor decides that you need to stay a while, maybe your husband can bring you something more comfortable. In the mean time, go ahead and get changed into this, and we'll get you hooked up."

She left the room and Kate looked resignedly at Rick. "Ok, give me a hand." He helped her change and get into the bed. A few minutes later Jen returned, looking slightly less cheerful. She was carrying a package that appeared to contain a bag and some tubing.

"I'm sure I won't be your favorite after this, but your doctor has ordered a high dose of a diuretic to try and get some of this fluid out of you, get your pressure down. That means you're gonna need to pee like every twenty minutes. A woman in your condition shouldn't be that active so….she's ordered a catheter." She turned to Rick. "You might want to step out for this."

Kate spoke before he had the chance. "He stays." A look at the unswerving devotion in his face reassured her that, as he promised, he'd stand by her, do anything she asked of him that was within his power to accomplish.

He moved to the head of the bed and held both her hands, leaning in so that she focused only on his face. The nurse draped an extra sheet over Kate's legs, then folded it back so that she could work.

Rick watched his wife's eyes slam shut, a small tear squeezing out of the corner. When Jen reminded her not to tense, he spoke. "Hey, Kate. She needs you to relax. _I_ need you to relax. Can you do it for me? Think about our honeymoon, all of those beautiful places." Degree by degree he watched Kate's body sink into the mattress as he described the beaches and the mountains they had seen. Finally Jen seemed to be finished.

Next she strapped two wide elastic bands around Kate's torso, for monitoring the babies vital signs, and a blood pressure cuff around her upper arm. She left the room and Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Her respite turned out to be short lived, because Jen returned in minutes carrying another tube and bag assembly. "Where's THAT one going?" Kate asked, fearful.

"In your arm sweetie. This is your IV. The good thing about having your blood pressure up is that I don't think we'll have any trouble finding a good vein." Without prompting Rick again moved forward, grabbing Kate's free hand.

"You squeeze as hard as you like," he murmured. He almost regretted the offer, for when she felt the sting of the needle she clenched his fingers for dear life.

"There. All done. You just relax now. I'll be back to check on you in a little while."

"Relax. How does she expect me to relax?" Kate demanded, gesturing to all of the medical paraphernalia.

Rick looked at her sympathetically. If Dr. Hathaway ordered that she stay, this was going to be a LONG four weeks.

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_**Thanks to all who have reviewed, alerted, and favorited. I love reading your feedback, so...please review?**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, readers. Miss me? I know, it's been over a week. My muse was playing shy. **

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Rick stopped by the nurses' station on the way to Kate's room. "How is she doing today?" he inquired. He set a pink bakery box full of gourmet cookies on the counter and gave it a gentle nudge toward Jolene, the nurse who had cared for Kate at least a few days the past week.

Jolene smiled her gratitude, edging the box open with her finger to take a peek. "Thanks, you shouldn't have."

"It's not a problem, though I do expect you to share with the other 'children', especially anyone who my wife has tried to verbally decapitate ," he teased her. "So…ok if I go on in?"

"Actually, I'll come with you. Dr. Hathaway says if your wife can manage a little stroll around the ward, going home might be an option."

Eagerly he strode to Kate's room, outpacing Jolene. He rapped on the door and smiled at the hopeful tone Kate responded with. "Come in?"

Her face fell a little when he peeked around the curtain. "Oh. It's you. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but Jolene said she'd take me for a walk this afternoon."

He feigned a hurt look. "I see. Guess the honeymoon is over after all, you're stepping out on me with your nurse." He grinned when he saw Kate getting flustered. "I suppose it's a good thing, then, that I brought her with me?"

Jolene entered the room, carrying a multicolored woven canvas belt. "This is called a gait belt, it's going to help us hang on to you." Since the triplets were responsible for the disappearance of Kate's waist, Jolene looped the belt under her breasts and armpits, fastening it in the back. She withdrew a battery pack and wire from her smock pocket. "And _this _is for wireless telemetry monitoring." She slid a hand under Kate's gown and stuck the sensor to her tummy. She snaked the battery pack through the gown's armhole and dropped it into the pocket on the front of the gown.

Kate carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slid forward, slowly coming to a stand. Rick hooked his arm under hers, while Jolene held the other arm and the belt. It felt strange to be on her feet. She had had daily physical therapy visits to work on her legs, massaging them to ease some of the fluid out, flexing and stretching them so that they didn't become weak.

She took a few tentative steps forward and let herself be guided to the door. Her head swiveled this way and that as she took in the scenery she had only been able to glimpse through her doorway. They looped around to the far side of the nurse's station, where Jolene tilted her head to the side, listening to a rapid beeping. "Is that us?" she asked Sarah, a CNA sitting at the monitors.

"'Fraid so." Sarah responded sympathetically. They sat Kate down and took a blood pressure reading.

"Sorry, sweetie, way too high. Dr. Hathaway makes the final call, but I do believe your pretty little self is going to be with us for the long haul."

Kate groaned and hung her head. Jolene quietly moved a wheelchair in beside her. "C'mon, let's get you back to your room so you can visit with your handsome husband."

Once she'd been transferred back to the bed, Kate let the tears flow.

"Aw, honey, don't. I hate to see you cry, especially when I can't fix it."

"Too bad this isn't about _you,_" she snapped in response.

Knowing it was just the frustration talking, Rick ignored the comment. At a loss to decide whether wit or comfort was called for, he handed her the box of tissues. She looked up and had opened her mouth to comment when the phone rang. "Hello? Oh, yes, thank you for calling, I lost track of the time. Yes, I would. Actually my husband is here, would it be a problem to place an order for two trays? Great. How's the beef stew tonight? Really, ok, I'll take that, two containers of milk and the cheesecake. And for the other tray, the chicken parmesan dinner, cola, chocolate pudding. Great, thanks. Bye."

He looked at her, perplexed. "Food calls for YOU here?"

She nodded. "Whenever you don't phone in a meal order, they call you to make sure you have the option. And before you ask the next question, if I am eating this food, so are you."

They chatted while they waited. His eyes roamed the dark waves framing her face. "Your hair looks nice today," he ventured.

"Martha was by this morning, she brushed it out for me. Very sweet. She tried to give me a manicure, too, but I couldn't stand the smell of the polish."

She shifted uncomfortably in the bed. "I swear, my butt is going to take root in this matress. They do make me lay on my side for part of the day, but still," she griped.

Rick took her hand. "What can I do to help?"

"You can spring me from here. C'mon, it'll be easy, tie the bedsheets together, lower me out the window?"

"Are you nuts? Do you know what being married to a fugitive will do to my reputation?" he teased her.

"Might improve it. Everyone loves a scandal. You specialize in them."

"I _did_, but you've made me an honest man, remember?"

After dinner, they watched a few episodes of a comedy series that Rick had purchased on disc. When he saw her eyelids drooping, he moved into the bathroom and changed into more comfortable clothing, then unfolded the couch to a bed. Before settling in, he bent to kiss her goodnight. He meant for it to be brief, but in his need to distract her, maybe give her pleasant dreams, he forgot himself, letting a little of his passion weaken his control. He deepened the kiss and felt her fingers wander up his arm to caress the back of his neck. Suddenly a disembodied voice jolted them apart. "Mr. CASTLE!" the voice admonished through the speaker of the two-way com to the nurses' station. "What have we told you about getting your wife worked up liked that?"

Mystified, he looked at Kate, noticing her face was flushed, then at the monitors. Her most recent blood pressure reading was higher than it should be. He groaned inwardly.

"Sorry!" he addressed the speaker. Kate just chuckled at him. "I really am. It's not fair to you. It's not _safe_ for you."

"Maybe not, but it's the most fun I've had all day."

Rick settled into his bed, wishing he could be closer to her. No way would he fit _in_ her bed, not to mention the risk of entanglement in all of her tubes and wires. When he had tried to buddy the convertible up _beside_ Kate's bed so that they could at least hold hands in the darkness, he'd been told by her nurse, somewhat regretfully he thought, that they needed access all the way around the bed in the event of an emergency.

He bade her goodnight and listened to her breathing change as sleep claimed her. He worked an idea over in his mind until the edges grew fuzzy, then he, too surrendered to unconsciousness.

* * *

Kate sighed with disgust as she dropped the remote on the sheets beside her. With the exception of one program, daytime television held no appeal for her. She eyed the novels that sat on her bedside table. They were from the 'assignment' box Paula had given Rick. So out of her mind with boredom, Kate had agreed to read one or two for him and summarize them so that he could write his endorsement blurbs.

As she reached for one, a knock on the door stopped her. At her invitation, Ryan and Esposito cautiously peered around the curtain. "Guys, it's ok. Really. Nobody here but me. Well, _us,_" she amended, rubbing her belly.

After exchanging pleasantries, Kate noticed that Kevin had a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Motioning toward it with her head, she sent him a look of inquiry. Years of teamwork had distilled their communications down so well that he answered as though she had actually spoken.

"We've got this case, we're up against the wall with it. Thought a fresh pair of eyes could help."

She aimed a sidelong glance at them, seeing through the charade but playing along anyway. "Really? What about Castle?" she asked dryly.

"He's good but you are our go-to girl…woman…person…lady," Kevin babbled until Javier smacked the back of his head.

She watched the exchange fondly. The realization hit her that though she had never thought of herself as maternal, she'd been their den mother for years now.

"Guys! The case?"

Nodding, Ryan withdrew a thick folder from the bag and laid it on the table in front of her. "Curtis Watson, 34, found in the park with his skull caved in…"

As Kate's attention was absorbed by the case details, her vital signs evened out. Out at the nurses' station, Jolene watched the monitor. "I'm impressed."

Beside her, Castle responded with just a touch of smugness. "Told you it would work. Being a detective is who she IS. It's her…center. It stands to reason that going to that place in her brain would calm her, even more than being with me does, because as hard as I try, I can't hide the worry on my face, and that reminds _her_ to worry. _This…" _he finished, pointing to the screen, is the best medicine for her right now."

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**_I'd love it if you would leave a review and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Haven't done the disclaimer in a good long while so...I don't own any of this. If I did, I would use my earnings to buy a ticket to a place where it isn't snowing in April.**_

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Rick appeared in Kate's doorway just as the physical therapist was leaving. The sweet smell of lotion lingered in the air. He watched her flex her toes for a moment, slowly bringing her legs out to the side one at a time so that she could actually _view_ her toes. She seemed so intent that he cleared his throat so as not to startle her. She grinned when she saw him leaned against the frame.

"How's my graceful ballerina this fine day?"

Kate snorted. "Better watch it. Around here if you prove yourself delusional they give you a three day pass to a 'quiet' room. It comes with a complimentary straight jacket and all the antipsychotic meds you want."

"Your spirits are high enough to make jokes, that's good. Maybe I should send your visitor home, save her for a grumpy day…OW!" He broke off to rub his arm, grinning. "You see that? I get no respect."

Kate grinned at the exchange. "As an officer of the law, I would be required to make an assault arrest. Therefore, I saw NOTHING. C'mon in, Alexis. Bring your father, you know he shouldn't roam about unsupervised."

She lifted her arms and Alexis rushed into them for a hug. , "Last night," she informed her step daughter after they released one another, "he incited a near-riot in the pediatric ward. Fifteen children clamoring for seconds on dessert, can you imagine?" She pinned her husband with a look. "And don't think I didn't hear about the 5 new Wii systems and televisions on rolling carts that mysteriously appeared up there this morning."

Castle feigned innocence. "NO idea what you are talking about." He was grinning from ear to ear, watching his two favorite women greet one another. He'd made the trip down to Rutgers at the crack of dawn to fetch Alexis and all her belongings so that she could begin her summer break. She had demanded they swing by the hospital before she even returned to the loft.

"So, how was your first year of college?"

"Really good. I got a couple of general studies requirements out of the way, Mythology and Music History. I'm off to a good start with my core classes, too. I'm glad to have a break, and I'll be able to help with these guys!" she finished, patting Kate's stomach gently.

They had been visiting for a while when Castle excused himself to the bathroom. Kate lowered her voice conspiratorially. "So, when do I get the details that make your dad start popping my antacid tablets? You know, the ones that involve hunky jocks, or maybe quiet, intense study partners?"

Alexis blushed. "How about if I come back tomorrow, _without _Dad."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Suddenly the teen jumped as if bitten. "Oh gosh, I totally forgot, I have something for you." She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a small package.

Kate tore into the wrapping to find a soft pair of crocheted slippers. "Aw, Lex, thanks, that's really sweet! You're getting so good at this," she said, examining the workmanship. She bit her lip. "Do you think…" she began hesitantly "maybe you could teach me how? It seems like a good way to pass all this time I have on my hands."

"Sure!" Alexis agreed enthusiastically. "I'll pick up some stuff on the way over here tomorrow."

After Castle emerged from the bathroom, having taken so long that Kate was sure he had deliberately stalled to give them a few 'girl talk' moments, he suggested that they order dinner. Since the only dietary restriction Kate had was lots of protein, they got some cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Kate noted that Alexis was starting to look a little wilted, so she nudged Rick and motioned him to take his daughter home. He furrowed his brow in an 'are you sure' expression, and she nodded reassuringly.

"Ok, pumpkin, why don't we head home, let Kate get some rest."

Alexis offered a feeble protest, before picking up her bag and heading to the door to give her father and stepmother time to say goodbye.

Rick watched her go, then leaned in to nuzzle Kate's cheek. "The day we lose our knack for wordless conversations will probably be the day one of us has to go into a home."

"Speak for yourself, old man. I plan to be kicking your ass around forever."

Rick's eyebrows shot up. "Promises, promises."

* * *

Kate was just finishing her breakfast, cheese omelet with sausage and a Greek yogurt smoothie, peach flavored, when she answered the knock at her door. "C'mon in, Lex!"

To her surprise, it was a very different face that greeted her. "Right first initial, wrong everything else. You been in here so long you're forgetting who your friends are?"

Kate greeted her with a big smile. "Hi Lanie."

Lanie grabbed the chart off the foot of Kate's bed and began to flip through it. "Looking good, girl!"

"Excuse me, but I do have privacy rights, you know," Kate protested playfully.

"Oh, screw HIPPA, it's null and void between a woman and her _best friend_ with a medical degree. Seriously though, I know you hate this bed rest business but it's the best thing for you. Having said that, how would it be if I got you into the chair for a while?"

"Really?" Kate asked, hopeful. "They don't like me to move a lot."

"I know that, but since I deal with dead bodies and it's in my best interest to make sure that YOU don't become one, I think I can be trusted to monitor you and call for backup if need be."

Lanie scooted the rolling recliner close to the bed to minimize Kate's travel distance. Stronger than she looked, she gave Kate a boost and got her to pivot on her foot to swing into the recliner.

"Good, this will give me the chance to use my present." She directed Lanie to the night table drawer where she had stored the slippers from Alexis. The petite ME gently slid the pink footwear on, chuckling at the pom poms adorning the drawstrings.

They chatted for a while, catching up. Lanie made her 'I'm impressed' face when Kate told her that it was Castle who'd put together the symptoms and come to the conclusion that she could be in jeopardy. "Writer-boy gets a whole sheet of gold stars for that one, let me tell you." Rather than let them get mired in the 'could have been worse' thoughts, she then deftly changed the subject, sharing details of her more unusual 'customers'. Before they knew it, the lunch tray had arrived. Kate flipped on the TV to the one show she did follow, and she and Lanie ate and shared their appraisals of the casual relationships, scantily clad bodies, and convoluted storylines.

As the credits rolled, Alexis arrived with a canvas tote bag over her arm. Lanie caught sight of the skein of yarn peeking from the top of the bag, but wisely did not tease Kate about her lessons. She excused herself, citing the need to get to the morgue.

Alexis began by demonstrating how to make a chain. She handed the short chain, the hook and the yarn to Kate and talked her through lengthening it. "This will get you used to handling the hook and keeping even tension on the yarn as you pull through." When Kate had mastered that part, they moved on to the single crochet stitch, then the double. Soon she had a strip as long as she was tall. She loved the mindless nature of the activity, the rhythm as steady as her heartbeat. She decided to keep working to widen the strip into, eventually, a blanket they could leave in the car for picnics. They talked about colors and Alexis promised to bring more yarn at her next visit. She pulled out her own project, a thin, soft looking yarn in pastels, that she was crocheting into a hat. The colors, lemon yellow, tan, and mint green, were neutral enough to be suitable for any of the babies.

"So? Dish!" Kate commanded without much preamble.

Being the conscientious student that she was, Alexis hadn't let herself be too consumed by dating and socializing. She did admit to a crush on Abe from her chemistry study group, an olive skinned young man with jet black hair and warm hazel eyes framed by tortoise shell glasses, and yes, maybe they had taken a few springtime strolls to get ice cream from the dairy bar when the formulas began to go blurry.

She also confessed to possibly being asked to a dance by her roommate's cousin, a sophomore on a wrestling scholarship. "Chris has sandy hair and blue eyes and a poet's soul, despite his hulking size."

"Evidently his poetry is rubbing off on you," Kate teased when she noticed the rhyme. "Your father would approve of that at least, though if he has to deputize Ryan and Esposito as honorary dads to help him intimidate these guys, he'll do so, you know that, right?"

Alexis reassured her that Chris was a perfect gentleman, as was Abe.

"So any plans to see either of them over the summer?"

"Well, Abe and I do have a bet going that whoever got the lower grade on the chem final has to buy dinner for the other, so, yeah I'll see him at some point. Chris is actually from Iowa, so I don't think it will be as easy, though he will have to go back to campus early to start training for next season." She shrugged. "If he calls, we might go catch a movie or something." Alexis blushed prettily at the thought of having two potential suitors, but then got a horrified look. "It's not like cheating, is it, if I see them both?"

"Not as long as you are honest about it, and by that I mean don't agree to be 'exclusive' or 'boyfriend/girlfriend' or whatever you kids are calling it these days. You'll figure it out, you're sensitive."

They sat in silence for a little while, each of their projects growing. Kate's nurse came in to take vitals and insisted that she get back in the bed. "Lex, you should head home before it gets too late."

Stifling a yawn, Alexis agreed. She kissed Kate on the cheek and made her exit.

Kate ordered a simple dinner, then settled in on her side to get some rest. Rick called to say that Alexis had gotten home safely. "What did you guys talk about? She can't wipe the smile off her face."

"Nothing you need to worry about right now, ok? Now someone told me that as long as I am growing babies I can have all the rest I want, so I'm going to head off to dreamland. Goodnight, handsome."

"Goodnight, my love."

Hanging up, she drifted off with a smile on her face, musing about what a great network of friends and family she had supporting her.

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**_I love reading all of your reviews, no FOOLING. If you didn't hate the pun too much, please leave a comment below?_**


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning brought Kate's father to her door. He entered carrying a re-usable shopping bag that appeared to be fairly full. After their greeting, Jim began to unload the bag. Kate's eyes welled up when she realized that he'd brought some of the board games that had helped her pass the time back when she was in junior high and had been laid up with a broken leg. They started with checkers, then moved on to Sorry. He reached into the bag and produced a package of her favorite oatmeal cookies. She directed him to the mini fridge, where she'd been laying in a supply of milk for just such snacking occasions. When Kate won the Sorry game, Jim grumbled good naturedly and set up the cribbage board. Between hands they talked, about her visitors, about his work. During the game itself the concentration was nearly palpable. In the final hand Jim ended up with so many face cards he practically had a royal flush. One beautiful five was all it took to secure victory. He stayed until after lunch, when Kate settled down for a nap.

When she woke, Rick was there, just as he always was. She'd noticed that her days were falling into a pattern. She'd wake early, eat breakfast, have a visit from the doctor or the physical therapist. Then she would have a visitor, who normally stayed until her nap began, and she always woke with Rick smiling lovingly at her from the armchair. He'd put away whatever he was reading or toying with, make some ridiculous compliment, and then spend the rest of the day with her, and most of the nights. After their chaste good night kiss, (because Jolene told him if he set off Kate's alarms one more time he would be banned from sleepovers), they would lay in the dark, separate but together, talking until they surrendered to sleep.

Her weeks began to fall into a pattern, too. Mondays she saw Martha, who always seemed determined to help her reclaim her femininity, fussing with her hair, her nails. Since polish wasn't an option, Martha would shape and buff them to a high gloss. Tuesdays it was the boys, bringing case files. It had gotten to the point where she'd had Rick bring her a small dry erase board and a legal pad to document her brainstorming. Sometimes during his afternoon visits they would build theory together, occasionally yielding ideas that they would volley back to Esposito. Wednesdays were for Alexis, crochet lessons and girl talk. On Thursdays her dad would come, and Fridays meant Lanie. Weekends were all husband, all the time, with an occasional Montgomery visit thrown in for variety. It was as though they had all gotten together at some sort of conference and worked it all out.

It was in this manner that the weeks passed quickly for Kate, and before she knew it, she'd reached the 32 week goal and was given the delivery green light by Dr. Hathaway. She could barely contain herself when Rick dropped by for his daily visit.

"What?" he asked, the minute she met his gaze. Her eyes were sparkling in a way he hadn't seen in a while.

"So, Mr. Castle, want to be a daddy again tomorrow?" Rick whooped and hugged her, carefully so as not to disturb any of her wires or tubes. That night he went out and got dinner to go, her favorite Chinese, beverage and ice cream. On the way he made a barrage of calls, letting everyone know . They ate in celebration and went to sleep dreaming of tiny babies.

* * *

Kate awoke to find that Rick was already up, dressed and shaved. She knew this was like Christmas and his birthday all rolled into one for him. Her stomach grumbled but she'd been told she had to fast, in the event the anesthesia upset her stomach. In solidarity, he poured a small glass of water for each of them, and they 'toasted' to their upcoming parenthood. Dr. Hathaway strolled into the room with Jolene.

Dr. Hathaway did one final exam, then nodded. "Ok, let's bring some babies into the world."

Jolene handed the disposable gown she was carrying to Rick. "Here, Daddy, put this on."

He complied while the doctor and the nurse got Kate into a wheelchair. The quartet made their way into the operating room. Jolene got Rick scrubbed up, as his reputation for 'touching things' had preceded him. Dr. Laurence, the anesthesiologist, helped a surgical assistant get Kate onto the table and positioned for a spinal block. Rick moved in and took her arms, placing them around his shoulders.

"Kate, look at me. Only at me, ok?" She complied, gazing into his eyes. He, on the other hand, made the grave error of glancing over her shoulder at the doctor with the huge needle poised at his wife's back. Since at no other time had it been more important to keep her calm, he martialled all of his focus to NOT allow what he had seen show on his face. "I love you so much, baby, and I'm so proud of you. This will be over soon and we will have three beautiful babies."

She rested her forehead against his and whimpered loudly as the needle went in, gripping the back of his neck tightly and nearly making _him_ whimper, too. Gradually her hold relaxed, as the numbing drugs took effect. Rick stepped backward out of the way as they laid her on the surgical table, fastening a drape in place to create a mini wall between her upper and lower body. Someone moved a rolling stool into position near her head and ushered him to it. He sat beside her, squeezing her hand.

"You're going to feel some pressure now," Dr. Laurence told her. "Be sure to let me know if it's anything more than that."

Kate did indeed feel pressure, something tugging at her, but it wasn't terribly unpleasant.

"Ok, Baby A is out, and it's a girl."

Rick and Kate looked at one another with unbridled joy as they heard her tiny cry. There was a flurry of activity as the neonatologist took her and laid her under the warming lamp in one of the basinets.

"Baby B is out now, it's a boy," they heard over a hearty wail.

"Just like his daddy, making a fuss already." A second team came to take over his care.

"Ok, here comes Baby C. No more mysteries. It's…. another girl. Daddy, you want to cut the cord on this one?"

Rick tenderly kissed Kate before he stood up. He took the scissors they gave him and snipped between the clamps as instructed. He looked at the little girl, his third daughter, he marveled, pasty but still beautiful.

He followed as Jolene carried her to the third warming bed and placed a heart shaped gold foil sensor on her chest. Then there was so much activity that the nurse told him it would be best to stay out of the way. He went back to sit with Kate while they sewed her back up. Like a little train, all three of the basinets were wheeled out of the operating room by their attendants, bound for the neonatal intensive care unit, where they would be assessed with greater scrutiny.

Jolene came to stand beside Rick. "You have people out in the waiting room?"

"Oh yeah. Tons by now, I imagine."

"Well why don't you go and give them the good news, while we get Kate here into recovery. You can see her in a little while.

He kissed Kate again before going through the double doors, discarding the filmy yellow gown on the way.

He found that the waiting room was indeed full. "Everyone! I am pleased to announce that I have…two more beautiful daughters and one handsome son." He found himself being pulled into the room and wrapped in hug after hug.

He sat with them, finally agreeing to partake of a snack, until Jolene came to get him. "Rick, your little family is in the NICU, but they're all near the window, so you can introduce them whenever you'd like. Kate insisted on going to see them, so she's in there, too." She paused and took in the size of the crowd. "Though, it might be good to do this in waves."

Alexis, Martha, Chet and Jim followed him first. He excused himself and went in to talk to Kate, gowning up as he approached. After talking briefly they advised the nurse as to what names to put on the basinets. He went back out and blocked the view momentarily as the cards were being put into place, then dramatically stepped aside and said, "Folks, may I introduce: Kaylee Elise, Linnea Zoe, and Adam Nathaniel Castle."

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**_Surprise! I decided that all of you have been patient enough (again, no pun intended), waiting for these babes to be born. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and will share your joy with me by leaving a review._**


	17. Chapter 17

**_Hi there, lovely readers. If you have been following right along, thank you for your loyalty and patience. If you are new to this story, Welcome!_**

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Kate sat in her wheelchair, watching the medical staff tend to her children. Kaylee was the biggest, weighing in at three pounds, fourteen ounces. She appeared to be the strongest, as well. Kate could see her tiny pink hands waving in the air. Adam was in the middle at three pounds seven ounces, and he was sleeping peacefully. Linnea was the one making everyone worry. At three pounds even, she appeared to be keeping her team very busy.

Kate was still reeling from it all. Yesterday she was stuck in bed, with a belly full of babies. Today she was a mother, three times over. She touched her abdomen experimentally. It was still numb, but she doubted that her recovery from the surgical incision was going to be pleasant. She did a mental inventory of the rest of her body. '_The spinal block must be wearing off'_, she thought as she realized that she was able to feel her toes again. She looked up through the window and waved back to Ryan and Esposito as they stood with Lanie and Rick. Lanie pulled a little medical rank and gowned up so that she could see the babes through one less layer of transparency. After an appropriate amount of cooing, she turned her attention to Kate, whose energy she could see flagging.

"Ok, new Mama, you've seen them, they're in good hands, now let's get you back into bed." Kate opened her mouth to object but Lanie's glare was firm. She grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and propelled it through the door, down the hall into Kate's room. Jolene was close behind, stunned at her patient's obedience to this woman.

"Kate, before you settle in to rest, do you think you feel like giving us some of that liquid gold you've got in there?"

Kate just stared at her, puzzled. Lanie filled in the blanks. "She means your breast milk, sweetie. Right now your body is cranking out colostrum, chock full of immunity building compounds. The babies are too premature to nurse, so we have to pump you out and tube feed them."

Kate nodded uncertainly. "How do we do that then?

Jolene displayed the kit she was carrying, and for the first time Kate noticed that she was also wheeling yet another medical-looking device on a rolling pole.

Once they got Kate settled in bed, Jolene offered Kate a funnel with a bottle attached to it. Grateful it was a girls-only moment, she took down one shoulder of her gown and looked helplessly at the nurse. Smiling sympathetically, Jolene stepped forward and pressed the funnel to Kate, taking Kate's own hand and pressing it to the cone to hold it in place. She flipped on the pump, subjecting Kate to possibly the weirdest sensation of her life. Kate peered through the clear plastic cone and was fascinated to watch the white fluid being pulled right out of her and flowing into the bottles. She hadn't realized how full she was until her breast began to soften as the precious milk was collected. The other one was still rock-hard by comparison, and tender. Eventually the flow stopped. Jolene carefully unscrewed the bottle from the funnel and capped it. "Four ounces. Good girl. Let's see how much more you can give me." She affixed another bottle to the cone and handed it back to Kate, to repeat the process. Five ounces later the other breast ran dry. "This is great. We'll divide this among all of your little darlings, and supplement with formula if needed until you can give us more. Make sure to keep drinking water, hydration is a huge factor in milk production."

Kate nodded, having sudden sympathy for dairy cows. She yawned and fingered the control to lower the head of her hospital bed, settling in for sleep that wasn't completely restful. When she was awoken by the nurses a few hours later, they told her they were going to get her up and walking to the bathroom to get cleaned up. At first she was stunned and a little scared. Under their firm hold, she made her way to the bathroom on legs only slightly less wobbly than the newborn deer she saw in nature shows. Kate never knew such heaven as the wiping down she was given with a warm wet washcloth. They helped her change her underwear, supplying her with thick pads to catch the heavy period-like flow that they said she would experience for a few days.

She found that her breasts had filled up again, so she asked Delia, one of the nurses, to help her pump again. "Of course. I'll be right back with the pump. When the nurse reappeared, she was also carrying a pitcher of water. She filled a large glass for Kate. "Here, drink this while we pump, this way you're sure to replace at least some of the liquid."

Rick appeared in the doorway as they were finishing. His brow furrowed as he saw her hastily do up her gown, but he chose not to question her uncomfortable look. Instead, he pulled a wheelchair into view. "Want to go visit our children, Mama?"

She nodded eagerly and he helped her out of bed and into the chair. They journeyed to the NICU together and went in to see their babies. They all had tubes going down into their stomachs for feeding, and Kate and Rick watched as the medical staff loaded big syringes with the milk she had just provided, and slowly pushed the liquid through the tubes to feed the babies. Kate motioned to Rick to help her stand, and with the nurses' permission, she put her hands through the access ports of Kaylee's incubator. She put her fingertip in the little palm and was amazed at the strength with which her tiny fingers wrapped around it. She crooned a little song to her, before moving on and repeating the greeting with Adam and Linnea. Rick followed suit and Kate smiled at the love shining on his face.

A grumbling in her stomach reminded her that it was dinner time, and as she rotated, a sharp pain in her abdomen told her she was long overdue for her pain medications. She had Rick wheel her back to her room, where they ordered dinner. She reached for his hand across the tray. "I'd like you to stay the night. I know it sounds weird, but this is the first time in nine months that I'm all alone in my body, and believe me, sleep didn't come easily. I need…the company."

"Of course," he replied, with no other comment. He knew it was very difficult for her to express her emotions like that, let alone confess that she needed something from him. Since she was smaller now and no longer had her tubes and wires attached, he carefully settled into her bed with her, and she finally relaxed against him in a deep sleep. He lay awake for a while, images of the three babies in their incubators flashing through his mind. It was one of the most difficult things he had ever endured, watching the medical staff work on their frail little bodies and being powerless to help. If there were a way to transfuse his strength into them, he would do so in a heartbeat. He did the next best thing, touching them as often as he was permitted, hoping that he could communicate his love through his fingertips. They had chosen the hospital with the best facilities and staff, that much he could use his resources to do. The rest was up to the doctors and nurses, and the babies' own will to live and thrive. He finally closed his eyes, telling himself that worrying wouldn't make miracles happen any faster.

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**_Would you please be so kind as to leave a review? Thanks!_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hi everyone, remember me? I knew it had been a while, but I didn't realize HOW long until I checked into the document manager and found that 6 of my chapters had expired. Yikes. I've had stuff going on, nothing serious, just motivational issues. Oh yes, and my muse was kidnapped and held hostage by gizmo8us 's muse, until I beta read her chapters. Please go read and review Coming to Terms, it's fabulous.**_

**_Thanks to KBtheMD for allowing me to pick her brain. And if you're reading right now because you forgave me for the super long update delay, YOU deserve my thanks, too. Ok, enough chatter. On with the show._**

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The next three days of Kate's recovery elapsed in much the same way. She did enjoy her new freedom of movement, but she still lived an existence framed by routine. Sleep, call for pain meds, eat, pump, go visit the babies. Occasionally a visitor was present for some part of this process. On the day that Kate was due to be released from the hospital, Rick brought Alexis with him, under the guise of needing her help to transport all of the gifts in addition to Kate and her luggage. While this was partly true, the primary reason was to give her a special treat. They arrived just as Kate was done pumping. She fit the cap to the bottle and eased out of bed.

"Ok, let's go visit your little sisters and brother." Alexis nodded happily, taking up her position at Kate's left elbow. Kate had insisted on going to the nursery under her own power, but by silent agreement, Rick and his eldest daughter flanked her in the event she should wobble.

When they got to the door of the nursery, Alexis headed toward the window to watch the goings-on. Rick's voice halted her. "You coming, pumpkin?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. They had gotten permission the previous day for one other visitor to actually enter the NICU, and though Jim and Martha had been considered, Kate and Rick had agreed that letting 'big sister' have the first turn was important. Alexis had long been the only apple of Rick's eye, and though she was technically an adult, and very level headed, there was still the possibility she would feel shouldered aside, especially by _three_ adorable infants. This visit, they felt, was important to prove that her place in the family was secure.

Alexis beamed as she realized what her father was saying. Her head bobbed eagerly as she approached he doors. Once inside they showed her how to wash her hands and put on the gown. They ushered her over to Kaylee's incubator. Kate slipped her hands through the access ports and caressed the infant's arm, murmuring words of love. "Good afternoon, princess. Are you being good for the nice doctors and nurses?" Kaylee's head rotated toward the sound, even though it was muffled through the plexiglass housing. Suddenly Kate saw a change in her face. Her eyes opened, slits at first, then wider, revealing eyes the color of storm clouds. Kate looked over her shoulder, where Rick was greeting Adam. "Rick! Come quick, she's looking at me!"

With a quiet assurance that he'd be back, Rick freed himself from Adam's incubator and crossed to Kaylee's in two long strides. "Hey, sweetie! I'm your daddy!" She studied their faces, her brow crinkling. Kate eased out of the incubator so that Rick could touch her. He did so, briefly, before putting his hand on Alexis's elbow. "Would you like to say hello?"

Wonder filled her face as she gingerly pushed her hand through the slit in the flexible membrane. She touched Kaylee's palm and felt the same grip that Kate had. She studied the tiny fingernails, the way the threadlike capillaries were visible under the skin. "She's so little," she whispered reverently.

"Linnea's even smaller, I bet she could really use her big sister's support." With those words they encouraged Alexis to visit with her other sister, while Kate spent some time with Adam. Alexis stood before the incubator for a moment, before sliding her hand into the port. Suddenly an alarm started beeping from somewhere on the monitors. Alexis jumped back, looking stricken. A frowning nurse took her place.

"Nooooo," Alexis wailed. "What did I do wrong?" She paled as she watched the nurse study Linnea for a second, then reach in and give a sharp tap on the bottom of her foot. The infant's color, which had started to turn greyish, magically returned to pink. Silence again fell over the NICU. The nurse adjusted the tubes, reset the alarm, and walked away, all without a word. Alexis whirled to look at Rick and Kate, who had come to stand just behind her. An unshed tear spilled onto her cheek. "What just happened?" she whispered.

With a small sympathetic sound, Rick gathered his daughter into a hug. "Oh, sweetie, it was nothing you did. It was just bad timing. Linnea's brain is still forming all the necessary connections, including breathing instructions. Sometimes she just stops, but the sensors monitor the oxygen levels in her blood and alert the nurses. That's one of the reasons she has to stay here for a while." Nodding uncertainly, Alexis returned to Linnea's side and gingerly slid her hand in again to touch the tiny baby.

When it was Alexis's turn to see her baby brother, he waved his hand in the air and she giggled, causing him to open his eyes for her. "Ohmigosh, he looked at me!" she squealed. Adam, it seemed, was going to be a true little Castle, as he shared the pale blue eyes of his father and big sister. And like his father, he seemed innately blessed with the ability to charm the women in his life right out of their funk.

Eventually it was time to go, and the trio regretfully peeled off the gowns and pushed through the swinging doors. A nurse named Caroline followed them back to Kate's room so that she could sign her discharge papers. Waiting on her tray was a diaper bag full of samples and magazines, including two re-useable circular gel pads, called Soothers, that Kate could store in the refrigerator and place on her nipples if they got too sore from pumping, or, eventually, nursing. Beside the diaper bag was a black tote bag, but when Kate went to lift it she was surprised by the weight. "What else are they sending me home with, bricks?" she joked.

Caroline smiled. "That's your portable pump. Your insurance is very good, so we arranged to send one home with you rather than making you stop at the pharmacy. Lots of places only have one person trained to submit the charge to the insurance correctly, so it's one less hassle for you. You WILL want to get your pain prescription filled, though…" She disappeared and returned wheeling a cart, onto which the gift bags and some of the flower arrangements were loaded. Kate kept the ones from family and close friends, but the others, from resourceful fans, she arranged to have brought to the geriatric ward. She had toyed with the idea of letting Castle hand them out himself, but there was a big risk to turning a handsome, somewhat famous man, bearing flowers, loose on a floor with elderly ladies. They might try to claim him as a son, or worse, a suitor. An even bigger risk was that they wouldn't recognize him at all, and Kate would have to spend the evening soothing his ego.

Rick took the cart down to the car and had the driver help him load it all up. He returned and he and Alexis escorted Kate and her luggage down to the car. As the sedan rolled away from the hospital entrance, Kate couldn't help but feel a little strange. Her newly developed maternal instinct was screaming 'You left the BABIES behind!' even though logic told her they needed to stay until they were more developed.

Castle, ever attuned to her mood, glanced sideways and noted the furrow in her brow. "Weird, isn't it? It feels like I'm leaving the house naked." He watched her carefully, waiting to see if she'd take advantage of the truck-sized opening he left her.

Rather than tease him about his history of nudity, she merely murmured, "More like leaving an appendage behind, to me."

"Awww, honey, it's going to be ok."

"Is it? How do you know that?" she demanded.

"It just has to be. It's the way I wrote it." He finished with a wink, and there, finally, he got a small smile in return. "Besides, you gave them a fantastic running start. Now we just have to rely on the medical team to take them the rest of the way."

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**_Thank you for reading. I know it's a short chapter, but please leave a review to share your thoughts? _**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Rick and Kate spent time every day in the NICU visiting their children, singing, telling them stories. Day by day the triplets made tiny, but measurable, progress. They were being fed the milk that Kate provided (though she swore if Castle called her 'Dairy Queen' one more time, she was going to fix him so their first children together were also their last). Her milk was being blended with a high calorie supplement to help along their development.

The best proof of its success came on Father's day. That morning, Alexis had delivered a tray with breakfast in bed for two, complete with a handmade "Happy Parents' Day" card. When Kate protested that it should be Rick's special day, he countered gently that he and Alexis had discussed it, and he'd had plenty of Father's days, and God willing, would have plenty more. Kate, on the other hand, had been on bed rest for her first Mother's day, plus with the future of the babies still slightly uncertain, the day had quietly passed like any other. Wiping away a tear, she thanked the pair. Opening the card, the tears flowed when she saw that Alexis had signed it from the triplets as well. Even Rick allowed a manly sniffle to escape.

In honor of the special day, the trio dressed just a little less casually than normal, then headed into the hospital. They received a jovial greeting from the NICU nurses. Kaylee's, in particular, was beaming.

"Doctor Shannon says you can hold her today! All of you, but just for a few minutes." Rick and Kate exchanged a long look. Rick smiled gently. "You go first." With a meaningful glance at Alexis, he added "I can wait my turn."

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Kate approached the incubator, where Violet was carefully disconnecting some of the sensors. She took the corners of the blanket that the baby was resting on, and swiftly turned the little girl into an itty bitty burrito. She lifted Kaylee and placed her in Kate's waiting arms. At four and a half pounds, she felt like nothing. Kate felt Rick's nearness and looked over her shoulder to find him beaming with pride at mother and child. The baby blinked up at them, furrowing her brow slightly at the new view. She started to fuss, and Kate automatically began to sway back and forth, crooning to her. In seconds the baby released a contented sigh, and her eyes began to drift closed.

"Oh no, little love, don't take your nap yet. Your daddy and your big sister want to say hello too." She turned and carefully placed the flannel wrapped bundle of cuteness in Rick's waiting arms.

"Hey there, princess. Are you excited to visit with your family? What's that?" He held the baby up a little and bent his ear to her mouth. "Oh, you'd like to meet your big sister? Well, she can barely wait to meet you, too. Lex?" He turned to where Alexis was hanging back, an uncertain look on her face. "Your sister is waiting for you."

Once again reassured that she wasn't to be overlooked now that her trio of adorable, high maintenance siblings were here, her face split into a grin. She stepped forward and formed a cradle with her arms. Rick gently placed Kaylee in them. Alexis gazed at the tiny baby. Noting the knit cap, she had an idea. "I can find some hypo-allergenic cotton yarn and make some more hats for them."

"I'm sure they would love that," Rick responded.

Violet hesitantly stepped forward. "Ok, sorry folks, but that's long enough. Can't over-stimulate her on her first trip out of the incubator." Reluctantly, Alexis handed her little sister back to the nurse.

Their subsequent visits followed a similar pattern. One day when they'd been there for a few hours, the tenderness in Kate's breasts reminded her that it was time to pump again. When she broke out the funnels, bottles and tubing from her tote bag, ready to attach them to the NICU's pump, one of the nurses stopped her. "Actually, we'd like to try something different today. You think you can hold off for another ten minutes?"

Kate nodded, confused. The nurse picked up the phone extension and had a quiet conversation. Minutes later, a new face appeared in the NICU. "Hello. My name is Nadia. I am one of the hospital's lactation specialists. The team tells me that Kaylee may be ready to nurse, she's showing signs of suckling. Go have a seat in that chair, please, and put that pillow on your lap?"

Nadia crossed to Kaylee's basinet, as she had graduated from her incubator the day before. She freed her from her swaddle and unsnapped her t-shirt. Cradling her in one arm, she strode to Kate's side, closed the privacy curtain, and before Kate knew what was happening, her shirt and nursing bra were undone. Nadia positioned the baby across Kate's stomach and tickled Kaylee's nose with Kate's nipple. The baby automatically opened wide and Nadia pushed her head forward, helping her latch on. She pressed on Kate's shoulder to hold her down as the searing pain shot through her. "Easy…shh. We call that 'latch on tenderness'. But look at her go, she eats like a champ."

Kate nodded, the pain finally subsiding enough to let her toes uncurl. Calling that sensation 'tenderness' was a bigger euphemism than calling Chernobyl an 'oops', but there was something awe-inspiring about seeing her daughter taking sustenance right from her. When Kaylee was finished, Kate gently burped her and then Nadia re-dressed her and placed her back in her basinet. Nadia suggested that she pump out the first breast to be certain there was nothing left, then do the second, which would be split between Adam and Linnea.

Finally over her shock at the entire experience (or maybe because the hormones were still playing silly buggers) she addressed the woman in a tone that was firm yet still carefully hushed to avoid waking the babies. "I understand you have a job to do, but the next time you intend to violate my personal space like that, be sure to ask me first."

The next time Kate nursed Kaylee, with a different, gentler specialist named Anya at her side, she braced for the pain, but still hissed out a breath at the sharp sensation, causing Rick's head to swivel around in alarm. "Kate, you ok?" he called.

Through gritted teeth she responded "Fine." Rick was tempted to call her on her bluff, but decided that it was neither the time nor the place. He filed it away for a later discussion.

A week later it was time to try to nurse Adam, who had recently begun his 'cuddle visits' with his family, but he didn't get the hang of things quite so easily. No matter how many times they repositioned him, he couldn't seem to latch on. Anya took him over to one of the bright lights and peered in his mouth. "Oh dear, I think I see the problem. I'll speak with the pediatrician when they come on rounds, but I believe this child is tongue tied."

"Not likely, I'm pretty sure he's going to have his father's gift for gab." Seeing that the joke was a flop, she sobered. "What does that mean?"

"It means the membrane connecting his tongue to the floor of his mouth is too tight, he can't properly extend his tongue to form a good seal around your nipple. A little snip and he should be right as rain."

"SNIP?" Kate asked, alarmed. The thought of letting anyone near her child with a sharp object had her stomach twisting.

"Yes, the membrane has to be cut. It will help with nursing, as well as talking, down the road."

Even though she understood it was necessary, she was not looking forward to her son having to experience that.

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_**Just cruising our way through the little milestones. Thank you for reading, and please take a moment to review!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Ok, I am faintly mortified that it's been more that two MONTHS since my last update. My motivation just sorta went pfft. But then last night I got a couple of reviews from brenelli that totally made my night and inspired me to dust off the chapter that I had been pecking away at. So here you all go. I can't guarantee when the next one will come, as I have some other life obligations to attend to, but if anyone is still interested, please enjoy this chapter._**

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Kate woke to the smells of bacon and coffee, and underlying it, something floral. She pushed back the silky sheet and donned her robe, following her nose to the bedroom door. A splash of pastel color caught her eye, and she registered the vase of flowers on the dresser. Smiling as she sniffed the delicate blossoms, she continued downstairs. There were blooms taped to the banister all the way down, and more on the kitchen counter. Rick looked up as she entered. "Good morning, lovely wife."

She came around behind him, careful to avoid the popping and spitting bacon on the griddle, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Good morning to you, handsome husband. What's the special occasion?"

"Funny."

"I made a joke?" She didn't see his face fall, but she could feel the subtle shift in his mood, the way his back muscles tensed ever so slightly. She reached around and turned off the burner for him then gently spun him around. "What?" she asked, scanning his face.

He searched her eyes in return. "You're serious, you really don't…Wow, normally forgetting is the husband's job." At her clueless look, he sighed and smiled gently. "Score one for mommy brain, though I suppose you have quite a bit on your plate right now. Honey, it's our _anniversary_. One year ago today you completely lost your mind and agreed, in a legally binding contract, to spend the rest of your life with me."

The tears welled in her eyes instantly, and he kicked himself for making her cry. "Kate, please don't. It's okay, really it is."

She bit her lip and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "But you did all this," she mumbled into his shirt, "and God knows what else, probably something over-the-top…" She picked her head up quickly, receiving the confirmation she sought in his fleetingly sheepish expression. Fresh tears threatened to spill. "And I didn't…I…"

She stilled as he pressed his index finger to her lips. "Kate," he began, after a single sniffle had signaled the reclamation of her composure, "you don't have to give me anything. This? Us? It was my dream come true. So every year, on this day, I plan to spoil you, whether you like it or not, to thank you."

_His _dream come true? Now that he knew what he had meant to her, before they'd even met, he had to realize the adoration wasn't so one-sided. So _how_ could she have forgotten that this was the day she'd stood with him before witnesses and vowed to walk the rest of her life's path with him at her side? She _would_ think of something, just not now, because she knew by the way he was carefully studying her that he would know the instant an idea came to mind. Instead she focused on allowing the joy of having him as her husband transform her face until she was smiling up at him. Looking relieved that she wasn't upset anymore, he kissed her softly, then gave her a gentle shove toward the other side of the kitchen.

"Fix yourself some coffee while I finish up breakfast, then we can plan the rest of our day."

"_We_ can plan our day?" she retorted drily. "As if you don't have it all completely mapped out already?"

"Well, I might have made an arrangement or two," he allowed.

Rather than watch him cook, she decided to go back up and get dressed. Reaching into her lingerie drawer, she paused, her hand hovering over the basic cotton nursing bras. Anniversaries were unquestionably special occasions, she thought, particularly when she'd been enough of a heel to forget hers. She fingered a black bra with emerald green flowers embroidered along the edge of the cup, drawing the eye to a rhinestone teardrop dangling right in the middle. The racy stuff didn't have the drop down panels, so she'd have to take it off completely to feed Kaylee and Adam, not to mention to pump for Linnea. Her six week postpartum checkup was scheduled for that afternoon, and she hoped her doctor would give her the all-clear to resume…what had made the triplets in the first place. She decided she could put the practical tan garment on now, then change into the more interesting one later on tonight if they were given permission to _really_ celebrate.

Returning to the kitchen fully dressed, she discovered that breakfast was ready. A cheese omelet, bacon, and toast beckoned to her. She sat down at the table across from Rick and ate with gusto, reminding herself that the calories would end up not only in her system, but in the milk that would nourish her children. Belatedly she noticed a paper corner peeking out from under her plate. Pulling it free she realized it was a card. She scowled at him playfully. "You could have given me this later, you know."

"Oh, I will," he assured her with a wink.

Confused, she glanced from him to the card and back, before she realized that he meant there would be, heaven help her, more cards later. Slipping it out of its envelope, she breathed a sigh of relief that it was of the light-hearted variety. She chuckled at the joke inside, and smiled at his hand-written note 'Thanks for not killing me in our first year'. Kate looked up to find him watching her and smiling warmly. She blew him a kiss.

Just as they were clearing the dishes, the intercom buzzer sounded. Crossing to the panel, Castle thumbed the switch. "Yes, Isaac?"

"Mister Castle, your transportation has arrived," the doorman replied smoothly.

"Thanks, we'll be right down."

He turned away to find Kate glaring at him. She pointed to the panel accusingly. "That had _better_ not be another horse drawn carriage."

He stared her down unflinchingly and scoffed. "Like I'd use that one again so soon." He turned away, muttering something that had the word 'unoriginal' in it. Pocketing his keys and patting his pants to check for his phone and his wallet, he nodded with satisfaction and held his hand out to her. "Milady, your chariot awaits."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" she shot back.

Downstairs, the sight of an unassuming Town car allowed her to release the breath she'd been holding. They were taken to the nearest entrance to Central Park, where a tandem bicycle awaited them. Castle insisted on taking the 'wheel', rather than reveal their destination. For once Kate allowed herself to relax, enjoying the sights of the park. All around them, New Yorkers were taking time out of their hustle and bustle day to enjoy some of the July sunshine. Toddlers chased bubbles blown by adults seated on colorful quilted blankets. Dogs raced after Frisbees and tennis balls. People reclined in the shade of the trees, reading. She sighed contentedly, grateful for the chance to view the positive side of the city, rather than have her life revolve around the broken bodies of victims and the dark souls of criminals.

After riding around for a while, Rick steered them toward a shady area where a picnic table was already laid out with lunch. At their arrival, a young man dressed in a sage green polo shirt and khakis made one final adjustment to the silverware, nodded to the couple, and made a discreet exit. Rick selected a yellow flower from the vase on the table and tucked it behind Kate's ear, brushing her lips with a soft kiss. "Happy anniversary, darling." He removed a wine bottle from the bucket in which it had been chilling, pouring them each a glass. He handed one to her, then held his poised for a toast. "To my gorgeous wife, who has blessed me with a life beyond even my imagination." He tapped his glass against hers gently so that the crystal rang. They each took a sip, then dug into a luncheon of seafood salad, croissants with brie and fruit spread, and cucumber spears with a dill dipping sauce. After their meal, Rick peered in the ice bucket and withdrew a cupcake-shaped object. He offered it to Kate and she took it, curious. She found that rather than cake beneath the paper, there was a chocolate shell, and within it, chocolate mousse. They shared the decadent treat, finishing off with some discreet but sensual finger licking.

When lunch was done, they fed the ducks with the leftover bread scraps, then rode the bike back to the entrance, where the Town car delivered them to the hospital for their daily visit. As soon as they entered the NICU, they were greeted by Dr. Shannon. "How would you two like to begin your era of sleep deprivation tomorrow?"

Rick and Kate glanced at one another for a moment before understanding dawned. "Kaylee is ready to go home with us?" Kate asked excitedly.

The doctor nodded in response. "She's stabilized nicely, eating really well. There's nothing we're doing for her here that you can't do at home anymore. And Adam, bless his spunky heart, shouldn't be more than a day or two behind her." He'd had the procedure to free up his tongue the week before. The membrane didn't have many blood vessels or nerves in it, so really the most challenging part for the team was getting him anaesthetized, otherwise there was a risk in him moving his head around and causing damage. After he woke, he nursed from Kate far more efficiently.

Not bothering to conceal the one joyful tear that popped up, Rick shook the doctor's hand energetically. "You have no idea what a perfect anniversary gift you've just given us."

After visiting for a while, they made their way over to the Women's Health practice. When Kate stated that she'd rather have the visit in private, Rick gave a nod of understanding. "That's fine. Gina and Paula have been tag teaming me, I need to go reassure them that their golden goose hasn't flown the coop." He paused. "Damn, I'm mixing my metaphors. Definitely need to get back in the writing saddle. I'll meet you downstairs."

He excused himself, and Kate allowed the worry to crease her brow ever so briefly before she heard her name being called. As she followed a nurse assistant back to the exam room, she wondered, once all three babes were home, how they would manage their time so that he could get work done.

After going through the usual blood pressure and weight check, she changed into the dreaded gown and sat up on the paper-covered exam table, waiting. To pass the time she flipped through a magazine, scanning details about celebrities' "private" lives and homes. At last a soft knock signaled the arrival of the doctor.

"The incision has healed nicely, the bruising is all gone. Very good." The internal exam proved that everything was back to normal. "Looks like you're fine to resume all sexual activity. You may be a little dry at first, so feel free to use some water based lubricant. You indicated that condoms will be your primary birth control method?"

Kate nodded. She and Rick had decided that even though it was because of the antibiotics, since the pill had failed them, they would go with barrier methods.

The older woman studied Kate and took a breath before she spoke again. "I will caution you that lactation suppresses ovulation. Nature is kind enough to us not to make it easy to conceive another child when the first one (or set, in your case) is still so dependent on you. Don't be surprised if your sex drive is sluggish."

Kate smiled with a bit of relief. Their chemistry had always been powerful, and though he understood that full intercourse hadn't been an option, Rick had still initiated intimacy on a few occasions, suggesting that there were ways to relieve their 'tension'. As attractive as he normally was to her, Kate nevertheless found herself pulling away before things got very far. Since she herself couldn't really explain her lack of response, she blamed it on being tired. Rick was always patient and understanding, but she hadn't missed the brief flash of hurt and disappointment that ran over his features the most recent time. It helped that there was a physiological reason.

She dressed and headed down in the elevator to the lobby of the medical complex. She found Rick seated on a bench, poking at his phone. Sitting beside him, she nudged his shoulder with hers. "Hey, aren't you that writer, the one with the wild reputation? Want to get lucky tonight?"

"Sure," he replied absently, putting one arm around her shoulders. "Let's hurry before my wife comes back and catches me." He grunted as she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Appointment went well, then, I take it?"

"You betcha. And since starting tomorrow night we venture into the wonderful world of the two AM feeding, I suggest we make the most of tonight." In her mind she envisioned the outfit she'd considered this morning. Mentally she flipped through some of the other goodies in the special occasion box, finally settling on one that suited the occasion better. Her lips curled in a smile as she decided what her gift to him would be. Tracing circles on his knee with her nails, she whispered "Let's go get some dinner, we're going to need the energy…"

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**_Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to leave your thoughts in a review?_**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Yes, it seems as though I'm on a roll here. I'm most definitely having fun writing these two again. Grab a glass of ice water and enjoy.**_

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Rick's mouth went dry as her words sunk in. His hormones fueled a delightful mental slideshow, but with effort he got himself back in control before he embarrassed them both. Raising an eyebrow he countered, "What's your pleasure?" He pursed his lips at the saucy grin she gave him in reply. "I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but there's plenty of time for _that _afterward. As inclined as I am to suggest the most expedient option, some sort of fast food, you deserve better for your first anniversary."

Kate sighed. "Please, I'm still suffering guilt pangs over the fact that you made me a great breakfast and arranged for a fabulous lunch. I will _not _feel cheated, I promise." Rick studied her, gauging her sincerity. She brightened as an idea struck her. "How about that gourmet pizza place?"

Grudgingly accepting the compromise, he swiped at his phone and summoned the online menu for Goodfella's . Scrolling down, he paused at 'Sally Pie'. Lemon _garlic_ chicken, rosemary potatoes, caramelized _onions_, cheddar _scallion_ cream sauce. Definitely not a meal for two people planning to spend the evening glued together. "How about a Pizza Bianco? Ricotta and prosciutto?"

Kate agreed and he called in the order, stating they would pick it up. Next he texted the driver to bring the car around. When the shiny Lincoln rolled up, Rick motioned to the driver to stay put, and opened the door for Kate himself. His ulterior motive was clear to Kate when she felt his warm hand caress her bottom as she climbed in. The leather creaked softly as he settled in next to her, immediately pulling her in to his side. They sent the driver in to pick up the pizza, and spent their five minutes of privacy completely wrapped up in one another. Somehow they managed to separate and not look terribly mussed by the time he returned with the fragrant box.

Back at the loft, they were surprised to find a wrapped gift on the counter, with a note from Alexis. "Enjoy, and Happy Anniversary. P.S. Part two of your gift is that I will be staying at a friend's house, so you have the place all to yourselves." They opened the box and found scented candles and a beautiful crystal lotus-shaped holder. Rick lit one of the pink candles, and a light perfume began to fill the room, as the crystal petals threw little rainbows across the tablecloth. They settled at the table with the pizza and sparkling juice. Kate had regretfully had to 'pump and dump' at the hospital, after she'd been reminded that the wine from her lunch could pass to her milk.

Rick studied his slice, taking a careful bite. When he looked up, he found Kate gazing at him as she chewed. He winked, causing her eyes to drop to her plate. They traded such flirting all through dinner, and the looks grew progressively loaded. By silent agreement, neither over-indulged, so as not to spoil their night with a leaden stomach. Taking Rick's plate along with her own, Kate deposited the dishes in the sink. "Give me…forty-five minutes?" she asked as he rose from the table.

"Sure," he agreed. "I can try to catch up on email. I'll come up to our room?"

She nodded and swept past him. He caught her wrist and spun her back into his arms, planting a lingering kiss on her lips. "Mmmm spicy," he murmured, swaying with her to an imaginary orchestra.

"But the sauce was mild tonight."

"Who said I was talking about the sauce?" He released her with an eyebrow waggle and a gentle squeeze to her bottom.

Upstairs, Kate extracted her pumping set. She let it drain her thoroughly, wanting to buy as much time as possible before she filled up again to the point of leaking and discomfort. She bottled up the milk and stuck it in the cube fridge hidden in the wardrobe. Next she collected her outfit from the drawer, before heading into the bathroom. There she brushed her teeth, wiped herself down with a damp cloth to clean up, and spritzed her pulse points with an exotic scent. She dressed, applied some makeup, and studied her reflection. She knew she was desirable to him under pretty much any circumstance, but she hoped that the 'look good, feel good' theory would help get her past her discomfort.

She hadn't realized how much time had passed until she heard him enter the room and call for her. When she opened the door her nose told her he'd taken time in the guest bathroom to freshen up himself.

Rick turned from where he was adjusting the sheets when he heard the bathroom door opening. The sight he was greeted with made his heart skip a beat or two.

Somehow he processed the fact that she was speaking to him. "If you stare like that much longer, your eyeballs are going to dry up. Blink, dear."

He complied and she chuckled, clearly pleased with herself that she'd managed to short circuit one of his brain's most basic functions. "That…" He pointed at her ensemble. "Why have I never seen that before?"

"Because we didn't have a first anniversary before, silly. Not to mention the fact that it's been a good six months since I've been able to do it justice." She smoothed her hand over her bare stomach, which had nearly returned to her pre-pregnancy shape, due to some obvious work on her part. His eyes followed her hand, but after that they couldn't seem to decide whether to look up or down. By default they drifted up toward the shiniest part, a bra comprised entirely of rhinestone strands that was _barely_ covering her. Gravity seemed to draw his gaze downward, to the skin tight black satin bikini panties, with a delicate row of rhinestone dangles along the waistband. Looking down further still, he discovered she was wearing strappy heels comprised of matching strands of rhinestones. Just when he was reminding himself to breathe, motion caused him to glance back up to her other arm, which was extended. Twirling from one finger was a pair of black fuzzy handcuffs. He swallowed convulsively and swore under his breath. "Tsk, tsk. I was going to give you the choice of who gets to wear these tonight, but with language like that, it's going to be _you," _she chided.

He met her as she crossed the room, taking her in his arms. "Do you have any idea of how badly I want you?" he demanded huskily. His mouth crashed down on hers hungrily. After a moment he managed to rein himself in, turning the kiss sweet and tender. Just because it had been three months or more since they'd been together, that didn't mean he had to come on like a caveman. Then again, this outfit of hers did demand a certain…mindset. "As for _these,_" he intoned, fingering one of the furry bracelets, "perhaps we can take turns." His mind busily worked through the possibilities, and each one made his loins tighten further, making him more grateful he'd donned his silk boxers rather than something more confining. "I think you'd better chain me up first, I've pretty much used up all the control I have."

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she flicked one of the cuffs open and, gracefully drawing his arm from behind her, clicked it shut around his left wrist. She used it like a leash to guide him to the bed, giving him a gentle shove so that he fell backwards onto it. Straddling him, she slid her hands across his chest, deliberately brushing his nipples along the way, then up his arms, which he had cooperatively lifted above his head. She passed the other cuff behind one of the headboard rungs, then fastened his right wrist in place. His squirming drew her attention and she realized that she'd had to lean over him so that her breasts were torturously close to his mouth, and he was straining to taste her. With a smirk she pulled away, gliding her hands down his body. She was thrilled he'd volunteered to go first. The power of control might just be the thing her libido needed to boost it out of its weeks-long dormancy. His words echoed in her mind… 'how badly I want you'. She decided she wanted to hear the real thing again. "So, word master, _thrill_ master, tell me more," she urged, "about what you're feeling about tonight."

He looked up at her, caught a glimpse of vulnerability beneath the lusty challenge. He licked his lips and began to seduce her with his words. "I have been going out of my mind, longing to be joined with you, my exquisite wife. I want you on me, beneath me, any way so that I can feel that most amazing connection. The thought of you, _all_ of you, embracing me, makes me ache."

Her eyes flared with increased desire. She bent over and kissed him, enjoying having him at her mercy. She sucked on his lower lip, then shifted and nibbled at his ear, causing a low groan that she could feel in the parts of her body that were pressed against him. She trailed kisses down his neck to his chest, then lower still.

"God, Kate, what you do to me," he ground out.

She reached the waistband of his boxers and smiled coyly as she unbuttoned the fly and released what had been straining for freedom. She let her tongue play along the contours, the tip and the ridge, before capturing it in her mouth and treating him to suction strong enough to draw a thick milkshake through a straw. He alternated heartfelt moans with unintelligible cries. When she sensed he was near the brink, she shifted to the side and eased his boxers off, then retrieved two things from the bedside table. She gingerly rolled a condom on him, causing him to twitch and whimper anyway. Finally, as insurance, she squeezed on a liberal amount of the lubricant her doctor had recommended. She peeled off the panties and cast them aside, then lowered herself back onto him. As she was slowly easing him into her, she noticed his hands were fidgeting. She paused and leaned over so that she was looking him squarely in the eye. To enhance the effect she switched to her Russian accent. "You and I both know that because these are novelty cuffs, there is a safety release. I am telling you, do NOT use it. This is _my_ show this time around."

His eyes widened. "But I was just…"

She cut him off with a shake of the head. "My. Show."

Between the accent and the commanding tone, on top of what she had already done to him, it was a miracle he didn't spill himself right then and there. With a nod and a couple of deep breaths, he settled back into the pillows, giving himself over as her own personal sex toy. She settled back on to him and slowly relaxed her legs, letting her weight push her down until she completely engulfed him. She was completely still, eyes closed, breathing deeply, long enough to worry him. "Kate, are you ok?"

Her response was delivered in the softest tone. "Fine. Just adjusting." When her eyes opened again, he could see that Vixen Kate was back, and he braced himself for the next act of the 'show'. Bracing her hands on his chest, she lifted herself slowly so that he was _almost_ out of her. More quickly, she dropped back down, and Rick saw stars. She continued, gradually picking up the pace. When she seemed to settle into a rhythm, complete with whimpers of her own, he started rocking his pelvis, matching her pace. He gripped the headboard rung, hanging on as long as she needed him to. When she squeezed her eyes shut he knew she was close to the edge. "Go ahead," he urged, "let me watch you come apart, my sexy goddess. Fall, and I'll be here to catch you."

With a desperate cry she quickened her pace and the explosion of feeling shot through her, the intensity bringing tears to her eyes. Beneath her he groaned loudly, arched and stiffened, finding his own release. As he relaxed she did indeed fall, collapsing so that her head was next to his on the pillow.

"Can I now?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," she panted. "Go ahead." With her permission he deftly flicked the safety release switches and released himself from the cuffs. He brought his arms down and around her, stroking her back as she twitched from the after-ripples of the orgasm.

When she raised her head to grin at him, he knew she was back to herself. He brushed the moisture from beneath her eyes with the pad of his thumb and smiled back at her. He dangled the cuffs in front of her and whispered, "Your turn."

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**_Now, now before you all start throwing things at me, I'll try to have the next chapter up in a couple of days. *Hint: Reviews are BIG motivators*_**


	22. Chapter 22

**_Ok, ladies and gentlemen, here's the second part of their anniversary, plus an event many of you have been waiting for. Enjoy!_**

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Kate gently shifted off Rick and lay on the bed. He got up and ducked into the bathroom to wash up. When he returned, she was flat on her back, waiting, the cuffs on the pillow beside her. "I had an idea for another…location," he began. "Just how indulgent are you feeling?"

"Not enough to try out public indecency, if that's what's on your warped mind," she retorted with a smirk.

"No, nothing like that. We won't even be leaving this room."

When he would not elaborate, she stood, certain his idea did not involve the bed. She crossed to stand before him, offering him the cuffs. To her surprise, he locked her wrists together, then wrapped his arms around her, kissing her thoroughly. When he lifted her off the ground, she looped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Close your eyes," he requested.

Complying, she felt him carry her and was tempted to count the steps to figure out where. Before she could act on that idea, she felt the brief shock of a cool wall against her back. He lifted her arms above her head and she heard a faint scratching, just before he unwrapped her legs and gently lowered them to the floor. A minute movement verified that her arms were stuck. She opened her eyes and got her bearings. The wall next to the closet. Craning her neck, she confirmed that a hook was suspending her arms in the air. The height was just right so that she wasn't hanging, that would have catapulted this whole thing from erotic to cruel. Still, without the heels she'd be feeling the strain, and since she'd been in flats since her fall, she suspected she'd have sore feet soon. She knew that she had only to say the word and he would release her immediately. She could trip the safety release herself, for that matter. She looked into his eyes and found them filled with concern that she was ok with this. He seemed to decide that she was, because slowly the mischief crept in.

"What's your next move, stud?" she asked him, her tone and gaze heavy with challenge.

"Why, to worship your body like I've wanted to for weeks, of course," he replied, his eyes traveling a slow path down her contours. He stepped closer and kissed her, his hands tracing her curves as his eyes had, then teased her ear with the tip of his tongue, causing goose bumps to pop up all over. He chuckled at the obvious evidence of the effect he was having on her.

"Hmm, where else?" He kissed the column of her neck, and she tipped her head to the side to give him better access. "Here?" He nibbled his way downward until he reached the lines of the bra. Though gorgeous to look at, he could feel his chest getting scratched as he shifted against her, and like most of the get-ups she wore for his benefit, it didn't look terribly comfortable for her. His fingers quested for a way to relieve her of it. He slid his hands around behind her and found the catch, allowing her breasts to spring free. Studying the bra, he found the place where the shoulder straps attached and unhooked them as well. Sure enough, there were red impression marks on her skin from the metal backing of the bra. With a murmur of sympathy he resumed his nibbling. "What about here? Does this make you tingle?" He was so driven by his need for her and his desire to soothe her and pleasure her that he almost missed the subtle shift in her mood. As his kisses drew closer to her nipples, he realized she'd stopped the soft moaning that had been spurring him on. Looking up, he saw a fleeting look of discomfort.

"What is it, honey?"

"It's nothing."

"Bull. It's NOT nothing." He caught her chin between his fingers, forcing her to meet his eye. Softly he repeated, "What is it?"

She glanced down, then back at him. Blushing she replied, "I know they're one of your favorite…parts, and it stinks, because believe me, I love what you do to them, but I think I'm feeling protective about my breasts. Or, more specifically, my nipples. Because they're where the kids' milk comes from, it feels weird to have them be sexual objects. Is that…completely crazy?"

Rick closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall beside her. He heard her beginning an apology and straightened up. "Don't you dare say you're sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry, for not picking up on the cues sooner. And you have a right to whatever emotions you want. Especially those driven by post-partum hormones." He paused, studying her. "This has been bothering you for a while, hasn't it? I've noticed you've gotten a bit self-conscious." She nodded. "You know you can talk to me about anything, but maybe in this case it would be helpful to talk to some other women about it. When we pick up Kaylee tomorrow, ask about that lactation support group the hospital runs."

"Good idea." She looked up and then down. "This isn't quite how I thought the evening would go, having a big heart to heart. Your present was to have some wild fun."

"Hey, stop that. A: We DID have some of that, and besides the night's not over. B: I can't think of a better gift than knowing what has been troubling you, so that I don't unwittingly make things worse." He took in the image she presented. Reaching a decision, he slid his hands up her arms and flicked the release catch on the cuffs. At her confused look, he explained. "This was a dumb idea I had. You can't be comfortable, and besides, I've decided the captive, broken spirit look doesn't suit you. I'd much rather have you untamed." He lifted her and carried her to the bed. "Now, let's see what we can do about driving you more _wild_ ."

He ran his hands down her legs and unbuckled her shoes, carefully setting them aside. He began to massage her feet, then stopped to retrieve a bottle of lotion from the bathroom. He squirted some in his palm to warm it, then smoothed it over her leg, working down toward her feet. He repeated the sequence with the other leg, then began to work his way upward.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked on a soft groan. "This feels more like another present for me."

"Well, if you are enjoying it as much as you seem to be, then it's a double win for me. I get to give you another gift AND I get to put my hands all over you."

He continued with the full body massage, even urging her to flip over so he could do her back. Finally finished, he started at her feet again, this time planting soft kisses along her inner leg, teasing his way upward while she shifted with anticipation. When he reached the apex of her thighs and began to nibble on her most sensitive place, all of the muscles that had gone lax from his massage began to tense up with pleasure. "Oh, damn, you are good at that," she praised him. She arched and trembled, crying out at the exquisite torment. Her climax tore a scream from her, and just when she thought she could bear no more, Rick crawled up the bed, donned protection, and entered her, filling her and sending already sensitive nerves into overload. She clung to him as she spasmed, and the combination of her nails raking his back and the embrace of her inner muscles on him was enough to have him joining her in the land of bliss mere moments later.

Afterwards they simply cuddled. When their heart rhythms had settled, Rick reached into his bedside table and withdrew another envelope. This one had flowing script and images of flowers on the front, foreshadowing an inside message that was more sentimental than silly. Sure enough, there was a romantic poem all about love and dreams fulfilled. At the bottom Rick had written a personal note. It simply said, "Thank you."

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They woke the next morning and shared an excited grin that they were going to bring their little daughter home soon. Rick showered and dressed quickly, then went down to make breakfast while Kate got ready. Once they had eaten, they called for the Town car. Before it left the parking space, Rick installed one of the bases for the infant carriers, thankful for the ease of the modern latch system. They arrived at the hospital a half hour later and Rick proudly looped his arm through the handle of the carrier. Up in the NICU, they visited with Adam and Linnea, who were slowly but surely getting stronger.

Finally they dressed Kaylee in the outfit they'd brought, a pink romper with the words "Biggest little sister" embroidered on it. Kate tucked her into the carrier, carefully fastening the straps and buckles. Rick hefted the carrier, which didn't seem to weigh much more even though there was a little person in it. They walked down to the lobby to wait for their car, then snapped the carrier into the base upon the arrival of the Lincoln.

The doorman grinned broadly at the sight of the little family coming up the sidewalk. "Congratulations. Finally got to take one of your little peanuts home, eh? She's a beauty, just like her Momma."

The minute they crossed the threshold of the loft, they were greeted by Alexis. Clearly eager to hold her little sister again, she offered "Can I take her for you, Dad?"

"Are you trying to insinuate that your old man is tired after lugging Little Miss Five Pounder there?" Castle asked with a wink. Long accustomed to his sense of humor, Alexis just waited. He carefully set the carrier on the table and unbuckled Kaylee, scooping her out and handing her to his (he cringed thinking it) nearly grown daughter.

Kaylee opened her eyes at the change of position, staring up and gurgling. Her face was active, brow furrowing, lips puckering. Alexis cooed at her and walked around the living room, swaying and gently bouncing her.

Rick bent down and murmured in Kate's ear. "Looks like love to me." Kate was just about to respond when Alexis' voice caught her attention.

"What are you doing, silly girl? Does your wrist taste yummy? Does it?"

"She's hungry," Kate informed her as she approached. "Here, let me take her and feed her. Rick, can you get my pillow from our room?"

Rick hurried away and returned with the big C shaped pillow. She sat on the couch and unfastened her nursing top, then reached for her infant daughter. When Kaylee was settled and latched, Kate let out a sigh. "There you go, little girl. You can have all I've got this time. Call it a welcome home present. Next time you can take the bottle and I'll pump for your brother and sister. Does that sound fair, angel? Yes? Okay then." After fifteen minutes or so, the baby pushed away and began to fuss. Kate switched her to the other side.

After the conversation she'd had with Rick last night, she'd vowed to try to be less self-conscious around him. She habitually wore a cover-up in the NICU, even though there was a privacy screen. She knew in her logical brain that most of the men she'd see were medical professionals, but it didn't stop her from blushing at the thought of being so exposed in front of strangers. She took to pumping in privacy at home, and Rick had given her her space. Now that the air was clear though, there should be no reason to cover up in her own living room. Alexis would likely be a mother someday, might as well not shroud the whole process in mystery. When Kaylee was done eating, Kate handed her off to Rick for burping.

He expertly put a cloth over his shoulder and cradled the baby against his chest, rubbing and patting until a healthy belch came out. Having had a nice cuddle with her sister, a nice lunch from her momma, and a nice back rub from her daddy, little Kaylee heaved a contented sigh and fell asleep listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat.

Rick's heart melted when he felt her relax against him. He leaned back in his chair and sent a silent thanks for the blessings of his life.

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**_Well? Worth the wait? I do SO love to read your feedback, so if you have thought enough of the story to 'alert' or 'favorite' it, could you please take one more minute to share a review? I'd be very grateful. _**

**_Thanks for reading!_**


	23. Chapter 23

**_This one is admittedly shorter than most of my chapters, but it's been rattling around in my head for a while now so I wanted to get it out. myboygeorge, this is the one I was telling you about._**

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If a human body is deprived of sleep for more than 24 hours, the negative effects tend to accumulate. Without the restorative benefits of sleep, the muscles begin to ache and the immune system suffers. Rational thinking is impeded, tempers get progressively shorter.

Alexis Castle stood in her living room, retrieving these facts from **her **fatigued brain as she eyed her father and step-mother with growing alarm. Their postures were rigid and they were glaring daggers at one another. Their haggard expressions attested to their exhaustion. Alexis had read in one of the baby books (so that she could be a helpful big sister) that when the child sleeps, the parents should sleep, too, to keep from being worn down. At the very least, if one parent can sleep, they can tag team with the other one, and someone is rational at all times. However, the three infants now in residence all seemed to be on different sleeping schedules. Worse, Linnea had come home two days ago colicky, treating her parents to hours of inconsolable screaming and often setting the other two off. Consequently, Alexis knew that combined, her parents hadn't logged more than 8 hours of sack time in the last 48, and they were starting to take their frustration out on one another.

For the sake of the (finally) sleeping infants, they were keeping their vocal volumes low, but their words were far from soothing. "I can't believe you thought bouncing a child with a full stomach was a good idea," Kate snapped. "We're going to have to hire a professional cleaner to get the puke out of the carpeting."

Alexis cringed. Kate might know him better in some respects, but Alexis had known him way _longer_. Between her own flaky mother, Paula, Gina, and Grams (who knew how to push his buttons better than anyone), she had witnessed him in plenty of argument situations. Her father played to _win_.

She knew he prided himself on his ingenuity, and at the moment he was visibly bristling at the implication that his genius had fallen short. He narrowed his eyes at his wife and drew a deep breath. 'Oh, shit," she thought. 'Dad, don't…'

"Well at least I HAD an idea. Didn't incubating three children instill ANY maternal instinct in you?" Rick snarled.

"Dad!" Alexis gasped, darting a look between them. The thunderhead of Kate's temper built further, until she appeared to be seething with rage. Muttering "Bye, Dad, nice knowing you," Alexis squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the carnage to be over. When nothing happened, she knew the only thing stopping Kate from physically tearing Rick limb from limb was that she was simply too damn tired to try. Instead, her attack was verbal.

"I guess I used up all of my mothering abilities in the first three years of my acquaintance with YOU, you overgrown _child_!"

"Kate! Ok, that's it. I've had it. Both of you, shut up, _right_ now, before you say something _really_ damaging." They both looked at her, startled by her outburst. "God, am I really the most mature person in this room right now?" Alexis's chest heaved. "Look, you're both tired, so you're not thinking clearly. Hell, we're ALL tired, but I have the dual benefits of youth and recent practice with recovering from all-nighters." She looked back and forth between the pair. "Now here's what's going to happen. First, you are both going to _apologize_."

Rick and Kate stubbornly stared at the floor at first, flushed from a combination of anger and shame that they were being reprimanded by someone half their age. The only sound was the clock in the wall unit softly ticking, marking off the minutes. Slowly their gazes lifted to find one another. The arctic mood gradually thawed, and Kate, super cop extraordinaire, burst into tears, prompting Rick to cross the room and take her in his arms, crooning to her. "Honey, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry."

"Me neither," she sniffled in return, "and me too." They chuckled as they absorbed what she'd said. They stood there getting lost in one another's gaze until the spell was broken by the whoosh of breath Alexis had been holding.

"Excellent. The next thing we're going to do is call Gram and Chet, and Grampa Jim. It's time to enlist the second string team. Three babies, three more adults, it's perfect. It's a great day for the park, so when they get here, we'll load your little bundles of joy into the stroller. Then we're going to bed for a while and recharge our batteries." She stared at them pointedly, even beginning to tap her foot, until they obediently pulled out their phones. Rick gestured to Kate, who thumbed her keypad. Her dad was on speed dial, naturally.

"Hey, Dad. Listen, we need to ask a favor…" The conversation was brief but ended with Jim's promise to be over within the hour. Rick's conversation with Martha went pretty much the same, only with a bit of scolding from her end that they hadn't called before the fatigue had really set in.

Alexis set to work, busily loading the diaper bag. Rather than have three bags, they simply had Ziploc bags labeled with each child's name, for the things that were unique. Each child's skin did seem to prefer a certain brand of diaper rash cream, and each had their own preferred pacifier. She grabbed three full bottles from the refrigerator and inserted them in the side pouch. She assumed Grams would be resourceful enough to find a café or something where they could get water to warm up the milk.

When the babies woke, Rick and Kate changed and dressed them, then got them buckled into their carriers. The grandparent brigade arrived as promised and spirited the triplets away for the afternoon. Breathing a sigh of relief, Rick kissed Alexis on the forehead to thank her for her intervention. He sent her off to bed before gathering his wife and escorting her to their room for a well-deserved siesta.

Kate woke to find Rick propped up on his elbow, watching her with eyes full of contrition. What actually had roused her was his gentle caress on her cheek. "I said a mean, awful thing to you, and I am so sorry."

"I wasn't exactly 'Miss Manners' myself, so don't worry about it. I'm sorry she had to see it, but I'm glad Lex was there as the voice of reason, so we didn't take each other apart. We owe her big, for that and for all of her help with the kids. Maybe a trip, for her next break?"

"She'll want to spend the time with her siblings, not away from us. But we'll think of something. Meanwhile, _I_ was thinking, what if we have a little 'meet the babies' party. Rather than have a constant stream of individual visitors, let's have them all over at once. The boys, Roy and his wife, Lanie. They can all pass the kids around like little hot potatoes."

They talked about potential dates, before the rumbling of their stomachs took priority. They went downstairs to find the table already laid out with dinner. Chet and Jim each sat with a gurgling infant in his lap, and Linnea was sleeping peacefully in her carrier as Martha rocked her. The diva granny greeted them with a grin. "Feeling better, darlings? I cooked," she said with a wink, indicating the take-out containers on the counter."

Alexis stumbled out of her room, drawn by the scent of the food. Rubbing her eyes, she beamed at her family. "I trust everyone is behaving themselves now?" she teased. Sitting down to bowls of fragrant Chinese food, the family enjoyed a quiet meal before the grandparents took their leave.

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**_Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave me your thoughts in a review? If there is any particular topic you'd like to see dealt with, feel free to message me, and I'll work it into the story if I can._**


	24. Chapter 24

**_Apparently (according to Reader1701) this chapter needs to come with a warning label. So here it is: Caution, do not drink liquids while reading, as it may lead to small explosions of laughter and damp keyboards. The idea for part of this evolved from a conversation with Duchess of Strumpetness, so she gets part of the credit. Or blame, as the case may be._**

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"Everything set?" Kate asked, adjusting her hold on Adam as he nursed from her.

Rick nodded and pocketed his phone. "The caterers will be here at one. Is there anything I can do to help you get ready?"

Kate began to shake her head. She wanted to feed her little brood before their guests began to arrive, both so they would be content and so that she would feel comfortable. There weren't really shortcuts in the process, unless… "Actually, you can. Can you see if either of the girls is up, and bring her to me?"

Rick's brow furrowed. "Is he done? Because I can just wait and swap them."  
"No, he just got started, but there's something I read about in one of the books, I want to try it." Kate gently slid her finger in the corner of Adam's mouth to break his latch on her, then shifted him so that he was lying on one of the couch's cushy throw pillows, tucked under her arm. She cradled his head in the palm of her hand and guided him back onto her breast. When Rick returned with Kaylee, she undid the other side of her nursing bra with her free hand and held her arm out. "Lay her next to me, just like Adam is." With Rick's help working out the positioning, Kaylee soon latched on and was sucking away happily. It didn't feel much different than having both pumps working at the same time, except they were going at different rates. "They call this the double football hold. Cool, huh?"

"Very," Rick nodded. He smiled with admiration at how well Kate was adjusting. She wore motherhood very well.

When Adam was done, Rick took him and burped him then brought him up to change his diaper and outfit. "There, is that better? Fresh and ready for your debut?" He laid the baby in the swing and set the speed to medium. Adam cooed at the motion and the music. Kate took Kaylee through the same routine while Rick fed Linnea and got her ready.

"Perfect timing," he declared, snapping the last closure on the little pink outfit just as the door buzzer sounded. "C'mon, Thumbelina, let's greet your public." He carried her against his shoulder and swung the door open to reveal Javier and Lanie.

He nodded at the detective but had barely opened his mouth when the ME spoke. "Give me that little bundle of sugar," she demanded, shoving the basket she was carrying at Javier. Thinking it unwise to disobey her order, Rick lowered the baby into the cradle of Lanie's waiting arms.

To his surprise, Esposito spoke up. "You have another one of those for me, don't you?" At Rick's poorly concealed look of shock, he added "Hey, I grew up in a big family, lots of nieces and nephews. Babies are cute," he shrugged. He handed the basket to Rick, who chuckled at the two wine bottles labeled 'Mommy's Time Out' and 'Daddy's Day Off'. Along with the wine were packages of gourmet chocolates and cheeses. Javier crossed the room to meet Kate at the bottom of the stairs and gave her a brotherly half-hug before taking Kaylee from her.

Empty handed, Kate went to answer the door to find Ryan and Jenny. "She made me carry it," Ryan grumbled when Kate raised an eyebrow at the large teddy bear tucked in the crook of his elbow."

"Well my hands were full!" Jenny defended, bobbing her head to indicate the two fluffy bears she carried.

"You guys didn't have to bring anything, you did enough with the shower and the rocker," Kate protested.

"This way they each have something to cuddle up to. They spent nine months with cuddle buddies, that's a hard habit to break."

Kate turned to find Rick carrying Adam downstairs. Jenny immediately confiscated him. And so it went, for the rest of the afternoon. Roy and his wife arrived bearing a gift bag which contained a set of wrist rattles with little animal heads on them and, more practically, a package of burp cloths. "My wardrobe thanks you," Rick commented, "though my dry-cleaner might be put out with you when I start sending less business his way."

An hour later, Rick was making the rounds, thanking each guest for coming, when a familiar, trained-to-project voice coming from the foyer made him cringe with discomfort. "No, I will not keep my voice down, how else is he going to hear me?" she demanded. "Richard!"

'No,' he told himself. 'It can't be. She's in Australia, making a movie. What would she be doing here?'

"There you are, Richard. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were avoiding me. Or were you busy playing Mr. Mom for your new…offspring? Where are they, anyway, I need to see if they're anywhere near as attractive as the child WE made together." Full pouting lips, a toss of curly red hair, the come-hither look. Yup, here was his ex-wife, in the flesh. Flesh that had recently been tended to by a plastic surgeon, from the look of things.

"Meredith. How could I form the intent to avoid you, I didn't know you were going to be here. What, exactly ARE you doing here, anyway? I thought you were on location, giving Nicole Kidman a run for her money." 'Rather than on my doorstep, doing your Maleficent impression', he added silently, conjuring the memory from Alexis' 'Sleeping Beauty' phase.

Meredith waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it seems my agent was misinformed about the size of the role. Imagine, an actress of my caliber, being the first victim of a crocodile attack. As if I'm some _has-been_. " Her vague tone fooled no one. Rick knew perfectly well to whom she was referring, as did the target of the crack.

"Or perhaps your agent misinformed the film company about your level of talent…" Martha remarked drily from over Rick's shoulder.

The glare Meredith leveled at her would have frozen the Hudson River solid. She opened her mouth as if to offer some acidic comeback. Then her expression shifted to something decidely feline. Rick was instantly on alert the minute she began to speak. "Oh by the way, Richard, do you know who I heard from just the other day?"

"No, who?" Rick didn't really care to hear the answer, but he thought it best to humor her until he figured out what her game was.

"Gloria and Danny. You remember them, don't you?" she prompted, deliberately ignoring his warning look. "They're that delightful couple we used to meet in the Catskills," she informed Martha (and anyone else within earshot, Rick thought with horror.) "It all started during a ski trip. We had dinner with them after a surprise storm snowed us in. One too many rounds of Irish coffee, and whoops, we found ourselves all waking up in the same big, comfy bed. That's when I gave him the nickname Kitten, all curled up in a big jumble of warm bodies. At first we agreed that it was a mistake, never to be spoken of."

"Meredith, it IS something we don't speak of," Rick cut in. His jaw was so tight he was grateful he could still talk. "And I was curled in the _fetal position_, protecting certain parts from wandering hands, while I prayed it was a bad dream."

"Then as time went on we decided it had been a lot of fun, quite the spicy change of pace, adding two more styles into the mix." Meredith prattled on.

"No, YOU decided, you booked our next stay and then invited them. If the wine you drank hadn't killed so many brain cells, you'd remember that I slept on the couch for that trip." He kept his voice hushed, praying she'd do the same.

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "It's surprising the things you can learn from one another. If our marriage hadn't ended, perhaps we'd still be meeting up with them." She shot him a reproachful look.

Rick regarded his ex with disbelief. "It ended because you walked out on me, and let me tell you, it's the biggest favor you ever did for me."

"Still, perhaps a week or two at the spa would help me move on, keep me from dwelling on the past. Did I mention Gloria works for 'The Inquisitor'?" she asked slyly, naming a notorious tabloid.

"Fine, whatever you want, just, for the love of God, shut up." Rick begged her.

Kate had been listening to their conversation, her anger level ratcheting up with each exchange. Rick's last words make her see red. "The hell it's _fine_. Look around this room, Meredith. Do you have _any_ idea how many of these people are in law enforcement? And every last one of them would be happy to haul your skinny ass down to the station and charge you with extortion." Meredith paled slightly but haughtily held her ground. " Oh, I have a better idea, and it is inspired by Rick. He always said your mental instability was your best quality. I can work with that, and have them put you on a seventy two hour psychiatric hold. Clearly you're depressed, maybe a danger to yourself." Kate approached to within a foot of Rick's ex-wife. "Now get the fuck out of my house, you psychotic nitwit, and never come back. And just in case you get any funny ideas in your head, Alexis is an adult now, so don't bother trying any custody shit."

Meredith's mouth gaped like a fish out of water, before she let out a huff and stormed out the door. Kate watched her go, then turned to Rick. He was staring at her and grinning like an idiot. "That was…wow. I should let you fight my battles more often."

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**_I always love reading feedback. (Translation, I am a review Junkie...) Please share your thoughts, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this story._**


	25. Chapter 25

**_Ok, so I had this idea weeks ago, but couldn't get beyond the basic concept. I think my muse eloped or something, and I couldn't get into the *spirit*. Then when the time got close I got distracted by a little thing called the freak nor'easter. Yeah, it's not fun to wake up and find out it's 51F IN my house. Got it all back together and..holy crap how did it get to be Nov 3rd. But the idea was too cool NOT to use, in my opinion. So here you go. If you even still remember who I am. If you do, LOVE you._**

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Lanie rang the buzzer beside Kate and Rick's door and waited. She smiled as she identified the strains of 'Monster Mash' filtering through. When the door opened, she was greeted by a large furry creature. "Nice costume, Castle."

The figure nodded and bowed, then stepped backward to allow her to enter. Lanie unfastened the toggles on her cloak to reveal her costume. No longer burdened by the weight of her outerwear, her monarch butterfly wings sprung up to shadow her shoulders. She adjusted her antennae headband as she slowly scanned the room. A flash of crimson satin caught her eye, and she gravitated toward it.

"Hey, Red. Glad to see you could make it up for the party."

Alexis spun from where she was fixing herself a plate from the buffet, and as she did so, the hood of her cape fell to her shoulders. "Hi, Lanie. Yeah, me too." She glanced around before lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I think Mom and Dad were pretty thrilled that I chose to come home rather than 'experience' what campus life had to offer on Halloween weekend. Dad sent the car service right to my dorm."

Next she caught sight of a field of flowers, printed in pastel on a voluminous flannel gown. "Martha, nice outfit. What, they didn't have any animal print nighties?"

"They did, but Richard persuaded me…" she said as she adjusted the matching nightcap, "that 'traditional' would work better to sell the whole theme."

Lanie nodded knowingly. She excused herself and turned, nearly jumping out of her skin when she bumped into Rick. Far from being scary, he wore an innocuous shepherd's outfit, complete with crook, and, in case anyone needed to be clued in, a hand printed name badge that read 'Peter'. Still, how had he gotten out of the wolf costume so quickly? She got her answer a moment later when a furry arm wound itself around her waist. She stared into the eyes and found hazel glittering with mischief. "Oh, very funny, girl."

"Well, technically you weren't wrong. Castle IS my name, too," Kate reminded her. Besides, why does everyone always assume the wolf in those stories is male. The mothers are just as fierce, especially when protecting their young or hunting for supper for everyone.

"Speaking of young, where ARE your 'cubs'?"

"In their basinets. Go see."

Lanie drifted to the quiet corner where the three basinets were positioned. She pointed at Jim, who'd been sitting in an armchair reading to the trio. "Father time?" she asked with a wink, indicating the large chronometer hanging around his neck.

"Do you see a flowing white beard?" he teased back. "No, grandfather clock. Nice and simple, and I think the ticking soothes the kids, even if I don't quite fit the whole fairytale theme. But if you don't mind, I think I'll take advantage of your presence to stretch my legs."

The ME laughed out loud when she saw how the basinets had been 'renovated' for the evening. One was covered with straw, the second with sticks, and the third was lined with foam rubber bricks. All three babies were burbling away, the sounds slightly muffled by their little piglet noses.

She turned to find the proud parents right behind her. "You dressed the children of a police officer as little _pigs?"_

"Please," Kate responded, rolling her eyes." If you had heard the ideas he pitched that I rejected, you would realize that this was the best compromise. "

"Like what?" Lanie asked. Kate groaned as Rick rubbed his hands together gleefully.

"Well, my first thought was three blind mice, but I couldn't find sunglasses that small. My next idea was 'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Actually I think I'm going to save that one for a few years down the road when they can follow instructions. I also tried for 'bacon, lettuce and tomato', which, really is better than the pig thing. _She_ wanted to _color_ code them."

"Not _code_ them, don't make me sound like some stuffy librarian. I just thought it would be simple to pick up rompers in the colors we wanted. I suggested red, white and blue. Red, yellow and green was another idea. That way, they could either be M&Ms _or_ a stop light," Kate added eagerly.

"Not a librarian?" Rick countered with an arched eyebrow. "How about when you pitched 'A,B,C and 1,2,3?"

"What, no 'Do,Re, Mi?" Lanie snickered.

"Actually, that one was _my_ idea," Martha offered, joining the conversation.

"I still say we could have pulled off the Three Stooges," Castle grumbled, earning him disapproving glances from all of the women around him.

"Don't be silly, you, Ryan and Esposito will _always_ be the stooges to us," Kate quipped.

Overhearing their names and the zinger they were contained in, the pair of detectives strode over, trading indignant looks with Castle in a show of solidarity. Lanie's eyebrows shot up when she took in their costumes. "And what in hell are you two supposed to be, besides color blind?" she demanded, taking in the garishly colored jackets, sideways baseball hats, and thick gold chains with huge medallions.

"How many is that, now?" Esposito demanded of his sheepish partner. "I _told_ you nobody was gonna get it, bro."

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**_See...cute, right? and painfully short, yes, I know. But maybe some nice reviews will help get the creative juices flowing again...Let's try that, shall we? Thanks._**


	26. Chapter 26

**Yes, yes, it's been forever. Forty lashes with a wet noodle for me. Those of you who have me on author alert know that was able to drill and strike creativity last week. No telling how long the supply will last, I just plan to enjoy it while it does. **

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"Oh, now that's just…Oh my word…how did you even…Ka-a-a-te!"

Kate chuckled at the sounds coming out of the baby monitor. Rick was upstairs doing a diaper change. It was HIS turn, and she wasn't going to bail him out.

"Kate, this isn't fair, you're the one with the strong stomach, all of those disgusting crime scenes and you never flinch. Please? It's leaking everywhere. It's running down her leg. She needs a bath I think."

"Well, since you used the magic word." He jumped at her voice in the doorway. She peered around him, and good lord, the poop WAS everywhere. This must be what they call a 'blowout'. There was big pile of soiled wipes on top of the diaper but from the look of things, they'd barely made a dent in the mess that was Kaylee."Ok, let's get her into the bathroom. You do the bath, and I'll rinse the pajamas out in the sink.

"Maybe we ought to send them right to the incinerator." Rick picked up the 9-month old and held her straight out in front of him, hurrying her into the tub. "Then again, I'd hate to be cited by the EPA for air pollution."

"Funny man." Kate carefully gathered up the messy diaper and closed the tabs around the wipes, dropping the toxic bundle in the diaper genie.

"You sure you can't get a couple of the haz mat suits from the crime scene guys? They'd really come in handy at times like this."

"Has the ink you've been working with all these years damaged your brain, or are you just going senile on me. Alexis was this small once, and I'm fairly certain had the same bodily functions."

"Yes, I know," he grumbled, squeezing a liberal amount of baby wash on the monkey sponge that Kaylee favored.

Leaving the pajamas to soak, Kate went into the nursery, where she quickly realized that Adam was crying, right before a new unpleasant odor assaulted her olfactory sense. "What's wrong, sweetie? Ohh. Ok, it's ok," she crooned. She gathered him to her and soothed him, regardless of the spit-up he'd just transferred to her sweater. "Rick! Make room for another bather."

She carried Adam into the bathroom, unzipped his pajamas and plopped him in the water beside Kaylee. She peeled off her own top and added it to the laundry pile.

"What do you think's going on?" Rick asked with concern. He felt both babies' foreheads.

"Gotta be a stomach bug, which means it won't be long before Linnea catches it." That thought worried her. As the last to leave the hospital, she was still the smallest, and usually the last to recover from colds. Kate went back to the nursery to resume her mission of getting a change of clothes (now two). She realized the sheets would have to be changed as well. She grabbed the outfits and put them on the sink. "Here. Get her dressed and call me when she's ready. He's all yours."

Rick nodded. "Hey Kate? We still make a pretty good team."

She smiled warmly at him, until she caught him glancing downward and remembered she still had to put on a clean blouse. "Oh, mister, you can forget THAT tonight, we are going to need all of our energy to stay on top of this bug."

"I know. Raincheck?"

She nodded her agreement as she left the bathroom, bumping into Alexis in the hallway. "Ooh sorry, Mom, I…uhh," the girl stammered, taking in Kate's state of partial undress.

"Baby puke. No funny business." Alexis followed her step-mother into the bedroom she shared with Rick, waiting while she found a clean shirt, one that she didn't mind getting soiled when the next bodily fluid volcano erupted.

Peering out of her closet, she inquired, "So, how was your first official day of spring break?"

"Not bad. I got together with some of my old school friends. We swapped boy stories."

A faint blush on her cheeks prompted Kate to ask "And how IS Chris doing these days?"

The girl sighed wistfully. "He's good. He was psyched to go back home, he hasn't been since Christmas. He…asked me if maybe I can come out for a visit this summer."

The way her tone rose at the end of the sentence made it sound like a question, like she was asking permission. "Lex," Kate chided. "You're legally an adult now. You don't have to ask our permission. Or are you just asking if I think it's a good idea?"

Alexis looked relieved. "The second one."

"Well, you'll have been dating for a year by then, exclusive for almost six months. Seems reasonable to me." Any further comments she was going to make were cut off by a sound of dismay coming from the bathroom, followed by Castle's slightly harried voice.

"Kate? I could use help here. Kaylee…leaked…again. Good thing she was in the tub, but now I have to rinse her _and_ Adam off again."

"Help is on the way." She jerked her head toward the doorway. "Would you mind rescuing your father? He's willing to take on wild animals, writes about all manners of death, but poopy butts make him squeamish. Go figure."

Giggling, Alexis headed into the bathroom. Kate found a soft flannel shirt and buttoned it up, then gingerly gathered up Adam and Kaylee's bedding. She retrieved the dirty things from the bathroom and brought the whole lot to the laundry room and loaded up the washer. When she got back, Alexis was supervising Kaylee as she crawled around the living room. "She doesn't want to sit, I think because her tushie is sore."

Rick was sitting on the couch, reading to a pale-looking Adam. She put a small amount of flat lemon-lime soda, diluted with water, into a bottle and handed it to Rick. "Here, see if he can keep this down."

The little boy sucked on the bottle greedily, wailing when it was empty. "He wants more."

"I know, but we don't want to overwhelm his stomach. We learned that one the hard way, remember?"

Rick nodded, recalling how many cycles of 'drink formula, throw up formula' they had gone through before they called the pediatric nurse line for help.

Happy babbling from the baby monitor alerted them to the fact that Linnea was up. "I'll get her," Kate said.

She entered the nursery with a bit of trepidation. There was no telling what sort of mess she'd find. Linnea smiled at her and raised her arms. "Up?" she asked.

"You bet, sweet girl." Kate swooped her out of the crib, loving the sound of her giggle. She laid her on the changing table, but, mercifully, there was only pee in the diaper. "Guess you've dodged the bullet for now, eh peanut?"

"Nut," Linnea agreed.

"Oh. That's a new word." When the diaper change was done, Kate grabbed the "Castle Family Story" book off the shelf. It was a journal-type book that Alexis had presented them with for Christmas, bound to match the album she'd given them previously. Flipping to the 'Breaking News' section, she jotted the date and the new word on Linnea's page, then noted the illnesses on Adam and Kaylee's pages.

Doing a quick count, she realized that Linnea's word list was longer than those of her sisters. Perhaps nature had given her a little something extra to compensate for her smaller size.

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**Thanks for reading. Please leave me a review? Pretty please? *batting eyelashes***


	27. Chapter 27

**_Once again, I know it's been forever, so if you tuned in to this chapter, THANK YOU for continuing to be interested._**

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Rick and Kate were lounging in their bed, winding down from the day, when his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but the caller ID said "Princeton University". "Hello?" he said, and ice filled his veins at the sound that greeted him in response.

"Daddy?" the voice warbled, choked with tears.

He shot to his feet instantly. "Alexis? What's wrong, baby? Alexis? Talk to me, honey," he begged.

Soft murmuring preceded an unfamiliar voice on the line. "Mister Castle? My name is Helene, I'm a nurse at the university clinic. Your daughter came in a short while ago. She's got a sprained wrist and a broken finger but is otherwise ok, physically."

"Physically?" he prompted.

"Alexis was…assaulted tonight. She was walking home from the library when she was pulled into the shadows."

The bile rose in Rick's throat as he listened helplessly. "No..." he protested weakly.

"Mister Castle, let me assure you, the attacker was…not successful in his goals. Alexis is a very brave young lady, quite fierce about her own defense. The sprained wrist is from pulling free, the broken finger is from the punch she landed, most likely on her attacker's nose. She is, however, very shaken up, and asking for you."

"Yes, of course. Thank you. Put her back on, would you, please?" He heard sniffling on the line. "Pumpkin, you listen to me. I'll be there just as soon as I can. I love you, so much."

He clicked off the phone to find Kate already getting dressed. "I heard, enough," she responded to his questioning look. "I'm going with you."

He nodded at first, but then a realization hit. "You can't, what about the kids?"

That brought her up short for a second. "Martha and Chet?"

"Left for a cruise this morning, and your dad is still recovering from that surgery. Lanie?"

Kate shook her head. "Night shift." She blew out a frustrated breath. "I want to be there for you, for _her_."

"I know that you do, and YOU know what that means to me. Don't worry, I'll go get her and bring her right back.

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"I've never been happier that someone remembered my self-defense lessons," Kate murmured, stroking her step daughter's shoulder. "It sounds like you kicked some ass." After a night of rest, Alexis had been more willing to talk. The co-ed had told them how she'd been walking back to her dorm after a long night of studying, how her fatigue had caused her to be a little less alert. Someone had stepped into her path, dragged her out of view behind a utility shed. Before he managed to get her to the ground, she'd screamed "FIRE" (because, Kate had told her, it was a sad fact that people paid attention faster when their own lives or property were in jeopardy), punched him, and yanked free. She ran straight into a group of young women returning from dance practice, and they had taken her to Health Services.

At the compliment, Alexis offered her the ghost of a smile, wrapping her hands around the mug of hot chocolate that was always a comfort go-to. With her knees drawn up to her chest, she seemed so small, Kate thought.

Rick kissed the top of her daughter's head, then strode toward his office, pulling out his phone along the way. He dialed and listened. "Javier. You free to take a ride to Jersey?" He chuckled, but there was no mirth in it. "No, far from it, actually. Pick me up, I'll explain on the way."

Kate spoke from the doorway. She'd seen the resolve on his face when he left the living room, and it had made her nervous enough to follow him. "What are you _doing_?"

His expression was so dark, it actually gave her a chill. "Going hunting."

"For?" she inquired.

He reproduced the 'Don't be ridiculous' look she'd perfected before answering. "For the punk that put that haunted look in my little girl's eyes."

She put one hand on her hip, pure challenge. "And IF you find him? What will you do then?"

"Put the fear of God into him."

"How do you even plan to ID him, anyway?"

"The nurse at the clinic said Alexis probably broke his nose. That narrows things down considerably."

"So your plan is to confront every male on campus with a busted nose. That's brilliant. You DO realize that we are in an overlap between hockey season and rugby season. Collegiate athletes are not known for their civil dispositions. Even with Esposito along, I give it three 'interviews' before he's scraping YOU off the pavement. And THAT's assuming campus police doesn't arrest you. Look, Rick, I know you're upset, livid even. I am too, but what you're planning? Won't fix anything. We need you here."

He pointedly ignored her, heading back through the living room and grabbing a jacket from the closet. Kate noted that Alexis was no longer on the couch and assumed she'd gone back up to her room. She shook her head. "Sorry, Rambo, you're sitting this one out." She pulled her spare cuffs out of her purse, fully prepared to use them if she couldn't make him see reason.

"The _hell_ I am, he hurt MY daughter.

"Oh, really, and I thought she was OUR daughter. You're really going to pull biological rank on this?"

"STOP! Both of you." They turned, shocked, to find Alexis standing behind them with Linnea in her arms. The almost-one-year-old's face was red and streaked with tears. "You two were so absorbed by fighting, you didn't hear her on the baby monitor." She handed her little sister to Kate so that she could put her hands on her father's shoulders. "Look, Daddy, I appreciate what you want to do. But I'm ok, nothing happened, and I don't want you to get yourself into trouble for me."

"Ok, pumpkin" he replied softly, but Alexis was familiar with his expressions, and the bullish one he currently wore told her he was nowhere near ready to let it go.

"No, Dad, I MEAN it. Besides. Chris talks to a lot of people, and _listens_ to even more. If he catches wind of who did this to me, he'll take care of it." She and the wrestler were still a steady item.

"Now," she said brightly, clearly needing a happier subject. "After you guys change Missy-Poo-Pants there, we should start talking about their BFBDP."

Rick brightened at his eldest daughter's use of the code he had coined for 'Babies' first birthday party'. The buzzing of the doorbell brought his attention back around. "Whoops. That's Javier. What do I say?"

"Tell him what you called for. I'm sure he will confirm that your plan was ill-advised." With those parting words, Kate carried Linnea upstairs for her diaper change. Alexis followed, deciding that a dose of little sibling time was good medicine. Together she helped Kate change and dress all three, taking care with her wrist brace and buddy-taped finger. Next they brought the trio down for breakfast. Little Adam struggled to be let down as soon as he caught sight of Uncle Javi. Kate placed him on the floor and slowly let go of his waist. He raised his arms and toddled right to the detective, latching onto his pant leg. Javier looked down, pride and wonder erasing his brooding look. Kate could tell that it bothered him that his 'niece' had been hurt.

"Whoa, little man, check you out, walking like a champ." He scooped the toddler up. "Hey, you know, I haven't had my exercise today. Can you help me?" Adam let out a delighted shriek as Esposito used him for a barbell, first doing arm curls, then overhead presses.

"Guess that's where they get the word rough-house from, huh?" Alexis asked teasingly. Kate nodded as she retrieved three plates with suction cup bases from the cabinet. She filled one section of each with cheerios and another with fruit puree before prepping three sippees with formula. Alexis positioned breakfast on the high chair trays while Kate situated the children.

Javier was left in charge of breakfast patrol while the other three discussed themes for the birthday party. Once options had been narrowed down, Kate took Alexis with her to shop for supplies and pint-sized party outfits before driving her back down to the campus. Meanwhile, Javier helped Rick clean up and entertain the future guests of honor.

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**_So yes, a little dark, but I tried to balance it out. The creative juices are flowing a little faster now, so the odds are good it won't be another two months til the next update. If you made it this far, thank you again. I would be MOST grateful if you blessed me with a review, let me know your thoughts. _**


	28. Chapter 28

_**Thanks to everyone who has alerted, favorited, or reviewed this story. Your feedback means a great deal to me!**_

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Esposito arrived at the party early, eager to share the news he'd just learned. Rick opened the door and relieved him of his burden, a large parcel wrapped in brightly colored paper, with a nod of thanks. Javier followed him to the table that had been designated for gifts, keeping his voice low. "It turns out I've got a buddy on the Princeton campus police force."

Rick's mouth twisted in a smirk. "Is there any place you don't have 'buddies'?" he asked.

"Yeah. All the places _you've_ 'got a guy'", Esposito shot back. "Anyway. There have been a few other attacks, but no pattern, no specific situation or area to warn the girls against. Alexis was the most fortunate victim," he said gravely. His mama had raised him to respect women, to have honor. He had no use for guys who thought they could just take what they wanted. "They had a handful of suspects, but no proof. Until your little spitfire busted the face of one of them, getting his DNA on her sleeve in the process. And guess what? When she pulled away, she left HER DNA under _his_ nails, which they recovered when they questioned him after her attack. If his lawyer is smart, she'll never even need to testify."

Rick breathed a sigh of relief. Alexis was bouncing back nicely, and the closure she was bound to get from this would do even more for her healing. She was back home with them for the summer so he was able to witness her progress first-hand.

Javier continued. "One other funny thing? Two days after they released him ROR, he filed a harassment complaint. Against the ENTIRE Princeton athletic department. Evidently, they've designated themselves his personal chaperones. Everywhere he goes, there are at least two athletes conveniently following him."

Rick snickered at that. "That'll be Chris' doing. Boy, he is REALLY taken with her."

Further conversation was halted by the appearance of Kate and Alexis, escorting the birthday children down the stairs. They were dressed in matching pastel plaid overalls and white shirts with collar piping in a coordinating color: powder blue for Adam, lilac for Linnea, and pink for Kaylee.

Adam, who was determined to be on the go, was placed on his new fire engine sit-and-scoot. He motored around the apartment, pressing the buttons often and chortling at the siren noises. Once he ran it into Linnea's miniature armchair, where she'd parked herself to look at her favorite flap book. She looked up and waved her index finger at him with a stern "No, no, no" before returning to her study of the colorful pictures.

Kaylee, already a people person, wobbled over to Javier and raised her arms, giving him a coy but adoring smile. When she was aloft, she pointed to the toy shelf, saying "Woof?" Once he'd carried her close enough he understood what she was after, a stuffed 'smart' dog with buttons on all the paws for teaching letters, numbers, and colors.

Kate watched this interaction with a fond smile. They were going to have to change his nickname to 'Uncle Marshmallow' soon. She read the request for permission in his eyes and nodded. "It's fine. We put that thing away because the voice gets a little annoying after a while, but soon it will be so noisy in here it won't matter. He pulled the dog down and put it in Kaylee's arms, faking a swoon when she gave him a smooch on the cheek.

Rick continued to play door man, while Kate and Alexis set out the refreshments and spread a disposable table cloth under the high chairs for catching cake debris. Jim Beckett arrived, bearing a carved wooden rocking toy. It had horses on either side, connected by a bench seat, wide enough for two children. Martha and Chet brought, appropriately, a folding puppet theater. Kevin and Jenny presented each of the trio with a baby doll, and heartfelt chuckles went around the room when Adam and Linnea eyed one another's and swapped with absolutely no fuss. When Lanie arrived they opened the gift that she and Javier had gone in on, a mesmerizing contraption that moved large hollow balls through a serpentine maze before shooting them out the top with fan-driven air, all while playing cheery music.

When it was cake time, the kids were stripped down to diapers, placed in their high chairs and given cupcakes. Kaylee stuck her fingers in the icing and then tried to shake it off, appearing distressed when it wouldn't stop adhering. Kate got her attention and modeled sticking her fingers in her mouth to clean it off. The little girl's eyes grew wide when she got a full taste of the sugar, then there was no stopping her. She scoured the top of the little cake clean of frosting. Adam, meanwhile, grabbed the cupcake by the top and tried to cram the (slightly) smaller bottom part in his mouth. Kate poked Rick in the side. "Your son," she muttered.

"I know," he replied proudly. "And by the way, if you do that thing with your fingers again, I'm going to forget about all these people, take you to our room and make more sons with you."

"It wasn't actually a compliment," she retorted teasingly. "And really? I'm just coming off of maternity leave and you're trying to get me pregnant again? Forget it, buster."

Linnea watched her two siblings have at it, while studying her own cake like it was a problem to be solved. At length she picked it up and bit into it daintily. Swallowing the first bite, she announced "Cookie monster mess. Zoe no mess." She gestured to her book corner, making Rick gasp.

"She saw that in her book. Opposites. Neat and messy," he said, stunned.

* * *

"You'd look good in that," Rick murmured over her shoulder, making her jump. She was sitting on the couch, engrossed in perusing an online costume catalog, and never heard the click of the door latch. Rick was supposed to be at a party promoting one of the Derrick Storm graphic novels. His finger appeared in her field of view, indicating a scandalous shepherdess.

Kate grunted her disapproval before receiving his greeting kiss. "You know, now that we have children, there's something disturbing about you being turned on by a figure in a nursery rhyme. What are you doing home so early, anyway?"

"Let me tell you something. Graphic novel fans? Not really partying types. Apparently there was some sort of convention being live web-streamed, and they all left early to go home and catch it on their computers." He sat down next to her, looking at the screen with interest. A less secure woman would worry that he was admiring the models, but she knew he was just picturing her in the different outfits. She'd been hoping to surprise him but this might work out better. She made mental note of the types of things that seemed to hold his attention the longest.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her so that she was leaning against his chest. He watched her scroll through options for a moment more, but then she felt him brush her hair aside to expose her neck. His lips, warm and moist, nibbled there until she arched against him, shivering. A peculiar crinkling sound broke the spell. "What- ?" She sat up and felt his chest. Papers in his pocket, ah. She looked up, intent on asking him to remove them, until she saw the pleased look on his face. Curious now, she reached into the warmth beneath his jacket and fished out a pale pink envelope. With his encouraging nod, she opened it to find a gift certificate to the spa at a nearby 5 star hotel. "What's the occasion? It's the kids' birthday, not mine."

"Yes, but it's because of you that we were able to celebrate their birthday. You deserve to relax, be pampered. Take someone with you, for company. Then, since the location is at a hotel, I was thinking we could get a sitter and have a night to ourselves?"

"Sounds perfect." Kate's wheels were already turning as to how to thank him. After all, he'd been completely supportive, taking turns with late night feedings, diaper changes, not to mention all the rocking and bouncing Linnea had required during her colicky days.

* * *

Kate brought Alexis with her to the spa, to thank her for the help both in the past and in advance for later that night. Alexis had agreed to watch her siblings. She was going to have Chris come and serve as an extra set of hands. When Rick had expressed his concern about her boyfriend being over, un-chaperoned, Kate had pointed out that college life would have already afforded plenty of opportunities, had _that_ been on the young woman's mind. "In fact," Kate had added, "Alexis said that playing house with three babies would be the perfect activity to reinforce the concerns she had expressed to Chris about adequate birth control." Castle's face had blanched shades of white Kate didn't even know human skin was capable of. "When the time comes," she'd added, just so he would start breathing again.

They got massages using oils infused with gem stones: revitalizing rubies for Kate, balancing diamonds for Alexis. Next Kate tried out the hair removal technique known as threading, while Alexis got a facial specially formulated for her extra-fair skin. Next they had Argan oil scalp massages and then calming rain showers. Once they had dried off, Alexis went on her way and Kate went up to her suite.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. If you would be so kind as to leave a review, I would be most grateful.**_


	29. Chapter 29

Lanie and Jenny arrived and hung their garment bags next to Kate's in the closet. They were pleased to learn that lunch had just been delivered from room service. The three friends chatted and enjoyed a light fare of sandwiches and mango iced tea, finishing just in time for the arrival of the aestheticians. This was a present from Kate to her friends, gratitude for their support of her and of the men that were so vital to the team she would soon be re-joining.

Each woman was given a glamorous hairstyle with professional makeup, before slipping into the sexy new dresses Kate had also paid for. The photographer, Diane, knocked just as the last zipper was being pulled up. Kate opened the door to her then stepped aside as her assistant carried in two tripods, one for the camera and one for hanging up the retractable backdrop.

With Kate and Lanie's encouragement, Jenny took her turn first. She gingerly stepped over to the stool that the assistant, April, had placed in front of the backdrop, and eased down onto it, arranging the skirt of the royal blue gown around her. The artfully applied makeup emphasized the glow of newlywed happiness that she gave off. The halter neckline framed a delicate platinum chain, from which hung a diamond and sapphire pendant. Her blonde hair was swept up to reveal matching earrings dangling from her lobes.

When she was done, Lanie took her place, sheathed in a lavender, one-sleeved dress embroidered with dark purple thread. Her hair had been curled into loose waves that brushed her shoulders. She gave the camera lens her best sultry gaze, turning so that her leg peeked out of the high side slit, her skin tone contrasted nicely by the delicate color of the fabric.

Kate took her turn in a spring green strapless gown. The bodice was encrusted with crystals reminiscent of droplets of dew, and the corset she wore beneath it made her breasts threaten to spill over the top. A teardrop pendant sparkled from where it nestled atop her cleavage. The hem of the chiffon skirt floated at mid-calf. Her hair had been gathered into a bun at the nape of her neck, using pins decorated with crystals similar to those on the bodice. The glossy lipstick added to the movie star effect.

Before they moved on to the next shots, the three women posed for some pictures together. Diane captured a beautiful candid of them laughing after they'd hammed it up for a 'Charlie's Angels" pose.

They ordered a round of chocolate mousse/raspberry parfaits while Diane and April set up their equipment in the bedroom. These pictures would be taken in private, only for the eyes of the subject and her man.

Jenny went first, and emerged a half hour later in a robe, blushing madly. She'd never done boudoir shots like that before, and she was equal parts shy and exhilarated. All she would say was that Kevin was going to be very happy with the results.

Lanie was slightly less modest, and showed the other two women one of the shots on the camera's pre-view screen. She was captured in a sultry pose, looking over her shoulder, in a lavender bustier decorated with the same dark purple embroidery. The outfit finished in a micro mini skirt and thong.

"Ok, here I go," Kate said on a sigh. "You guys stick around, I'm gonna need help getting back into this dress."

"Good thing you'll have Writer Boy to help you get back out of it tonight, huh?" Lanie quipped. "Speaking of…" She strode over to Kate and unfastened the hook above the zipper, easing the tab down to where Kate would be able to reach it.

Holding her hand to her middle to temporarily keep the gown in place, Kate stepped into her bedroom. She let the dress fall and carefully extracted herself from it.

She pursed her lips and studied the bed uncertainly. This had been her idea, but suddenly she was nervous. She saw April fishing through one of the bags.

"Aha! This should help you," the assistant offered. She went to stand behind Diane, who had been waiting for Kate to appear ready. Suddenly Kate's face broke into a loving smile. Diane's brow furrowed in confusion. The prop bag that April had been rifling through mostly had puppets and other silly things to cajole a smile out of young children.

"What did you…?" she trailed off and chuckled when she saw what April was holding. Smiling back at Kate was the publicity photo from the back of Rick's latest book. "Remind me to give you a raise."

Now that the ice had been broken, Kate found it easier to have the pictures taken. She started with sitting on the edge of the bed, then lay back. She looked at the dust jacket photo and started thinking about Rick, about what the two of them would be doing in this very bed later that night. Her gaze became dreamy, with just a touch of wicked.

"Whew, I don't know what you're thinking, but keep it up, these pictures are going to be great. Wait until you see your expression!"

When the photo shoot was over and she was back in her dress, she saw the ladies off with fond hugs, then began to prepare the room for Rick's arrival.

* * *

Rick let himself into the suite using the key card the front desk had given him. 'I'm home, _dorogaya_," he called, using the word for 'dear' she'd taught him. The air was heavy with the sweet smell of incense. He did a double-take as she appeared in the doorway of what he assumed to be the bedroom. For several heartbeats, all he could do was stare. Remembering himself, he offered her the single red rose he was carrying. "For you, my exquisite beauty," he breathed reverently.

"Hello, husband." She accepted the flower with a smile of thanks, bringing it to her nose. "What's wrong?" she asked, when she saw him craning his neck to see her feet.

"Nothing, I was just checking for shoes. That dress was just made for dancing," he hurried to explain, "and as much as I'm tempted to keep you all to myself, like a painter's masterpiece, the world deserves a chance to appreciate something so breathtaking. If not the world," he amended, "then at least the restaurant downstairs?"

Before she could object that he wasn't dressed for the occasion, he got on his phone. "Hi Pumpkin, I need one more favor. Can you get my black Armani out of my closet? And since I'm pretty sure you know what Kate's wearing, can you find me a complimentary shirt and tie? Thanks, I'm sending a messenger right now to pick it up."

* * *

_**I know the chapter is short, it's been giving me a lot of trouble, so rather than make you all wait even longer, I thought I would give you a little now to tide you over. The next chapter will contain the rest of their evening, and will be the last of this story. I may do a "snapshot" story, as others have done, if I think the interest is high enough, but I noticed last night that this one has been going for more than a year. Time to put it to bed.**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the final (mega)chapter of So Good Together. A special nod for the 200****th**** alert goes to: ncisfan51. It would be wishful thinking to believe that all 200ish of you are still reading after 14 months, but I hope that when I begin the next volume, some of you will be gracious enough to join me. Thank you all for reading, alerting, favoriting, and especially reviewing. Away we go!**_

* * *

The scented shimmer powder that Kate had applied to her upper body gave it a magical glow under the crystal chandelier that illuminated the dance floor. Rick counted softly before dipping her low, his supporting hand warm on her upper back. She looked up lovingly into his eyes, somehow made bluer by the oyster shell grey shirt and dark green tie. When he pulled her upright, she drew in close. She felt him shiver as her lips brushed the curve of his ear. "If anyone had told me four years ago that the Tisdale case would lead to _this…" _ She left the thought incomplete.

Rick chuckled. "I know. I'm a man of nearly infinite imagination, and even _I _wouldn't have believed it." He spun her out and back, loving the way the dress flared around her legs, _adoring_ the carefree laugh he drew from her when he did it. He brought her in close again, kissing her tenderly. He could taste the rum and fruit juice cocktail on her tongue. "Getting hungry?" he asked.

"A little," she allowed. "Though, honestly, there isn't a lot of extra space to be had under these garments. Anything more than a cracker and it might not be pretty."

"As if you could ever be anything less than gorgeous. But if you insist, let's hurry up and get you out of them." His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Then afterwards, when you're faint with hunger from all of the…exertion…we'll order from the 'Lots of Calories' column of the room service menu." They finished their dance and threaded their way through the couples, aiming for the exit. Rick puffed a little with pride as he intercepted the admiring glances of several men as she went past.

* * *

Kate slipped off her silver shoes with a sigh as Rick closed the door to the suite behind them. When she turned to face him, his expression stole her breath. "I am the luckiest man in the world, and the envy of every guy in this building." He approached her and took her by the shoulders, kissing her softly. Tonight would be about romance and slow, sweet seduction, befitting the mood she'd set with her wardrobe. His lips traced a path down her neck to her bare shoulder, his feather-light kisses giving her goose bumps. She grabbed his shoulders for support. He continued downward, across the lush swell of her breasts, and up the other side of her neck. He could feel her pulse hammering against his lips. He gently nuzzled her ear, before murmuring into it. "I know I should supplement my diet with minerals, but…" He touched her earring with his fingertip. With a blush, she reached up and removed the earrings and the necklace. When she reached for the pins holding her hair in place, he stilled her hand. "Please. Let me?" At her nod, he gently pulled pin after pin out of the bun, finally letting her hair spill around her shoulders. He offered her the handful of pins and she set them with her jewelry on the table beside the door.

Rick took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. Once inside, he unzipped the green dress, revealing, inch by inch, the corset she wore. The color was medium pink at the top but lightened to a pale pink hue, like a flower protected by its leaves. "So lovely," he said, his voice rough with wonder at the effect she'd created. His eyes grew at the sight of the ivory stockings, held in place by garters. A scrap of pale pink silk that barely fit the definition of 'underwear' completed the ensemble. His gaze traveled back up to find that her cheeks had taken on a lovely flush under his appraisal. Suddenly her look grew bold, hungry, and he knew he was in for it. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. It was going to be hard, uh, _difficult_, to maintain 'slow and sweet' when she was looking at him like that.

Kate approached him and slid her hands up his muscular chest. Fatherhood had done nothing to soften his muscle definition. If anything, playing 'Bench Press Baby', lying on the floor and flying the babies over his head, had improved his physique. She enjoyed the feel of him under the sateen dress shirt, a fact she communicated clearly with her coy smile. She eased the jacket off his shoulders, carefully draping it on the straight backed chair by the writing desk. Returning to the circle of his arms, she slipped his tie free, then began to release the shirt buttons from their holes. When she'd revealed enough skin, she brushed kisses across it, her hands widening the gap so she could get at more. She felt his hands grasping her bottom, squeezing, pulling her tight against his erection. She looked up into his eyes, dark with the desire that had hardened him. She made short work of the last few buttons, sliding the shirt off him.

He ghosted his hands up to her back, crushing her against his chest. He let out a dissatisfied grunt, pushing her back gently. "This is beautiful, but can we please get you out of it now? I want to feel all of you against me." His voice trembled with restraint. She nodded slowly, turned to present her back to him. He undid the bow at the top of the crisscrossed laces, then began to pluck at them with his fingers to loosen them. When he'd created enough room, the rigid satin garment dropped down to her hips. He pulled her flush against him and looked over her shoulder to feast his eyes on her exposed breasts. Bringing his hands up to cup them, he tested the weight in his palms, before brushing the soft nipples with his thumbs. He nibbled the curve of her ear and she moaned, the flesh under his thumbs forming taut peaks.

Kate writhed against him, the pleasure too much and still not enough. She caressed his arms, taking firm hold of his wrists and pulling his hands away. She turned in his arms, her palm on his cheek. "We have all night," she whispered, reminding herself as much as him.

"And I intend to use _every_ minute of it," he assured her. He pushed the corset down further, adjusting the laces so it slid over her hips and dropped to the floor. Once he'd helped her step out of it, she led him to stand at the foot of the bed. She unfastened his slacks and let them drop, then gave him a nudge so that he sat on the bed. She laid his pants on top of his jacket, then strode to the bedside table, where she extracted a bottle of massage oil. She silently gestured, and he complied, scooting back onto the bed and lying down. She smoothed the oil over his back, working it into the skin, enjoying the way his muscles bunched.

At length he rolled under her, the feat made less difficult by the oiled skin gliding against her thighs. She took the opportunity to massage his chest, until he brought his arms up. "Enough," he ground out. "I need to feel _you_."

She lay on the comforter, soft fabric against bare skin, and tried not to purr as his warm hands glided over her skin. Finally she took a page from his book, rolling beneath him. He set the bottle of oil aside and peppered her with kisses, breasts, stomach, thighs. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of the so-called underwear and carried them downward, along with the garter belt. The stockings simply went along for the ride. Once she was free of them, he kissed along her inner thigh to the juncture. With lips and tongue he teased her, sending exquisite feeling up her spine. Her head tossed back and forth helplessly, until he crawled up and entered her, capturing her cry with his kiss. She rolled them so that she was on top, then sat up, dragging him up with her. She maneuvered so that her legs wrapped around him. They kissed, then rocked back and forth, her head thrown back, his mouth worshiping at her breasts. At last the waves of ecstasy washed over them, and they could fight gravity no longer. They collapsed and curled together on the bed, quivering.

"I love you, Mrs. Castle," he whispered.

"I love you more, Mr. Castle," she replied sleepily.

"Not possible," he murmured as he drifted off.

* * *

Rick woke an hour later, not certain why. At first he listened for the kids, disoriented, but the feel of his wife's naked hip under his hand brought the memories flooding back. Suddenly an odd sound disrupted the silence. His ear followed it…to Kate's stomach. Right. No dinner, only passionate lovemaking. He was conflicted. Sleep with no risk of child interruptus was almost as precious as uninhibited sex. But he'd promised to feed her.

"You're doing that creepy staring thing again." Her voice was roughened by sleep.

"Not my fault. Your growling stomach woke me."

"I beg your pardon, I…" a gurgling noise betrayed her. "Oh. Well. What are we going to do about that?"

He was already fishing the room service menu out of the drawer. "Let's see. They have something called a 'Chocolate Avalanche', or we could just go with fruit salad." He slanted a glance sideways just in time to see the dangerous expression that came with her scoff.

"I believe _someone_ promised me he would replace the calories I had burned."

Fifteen minutes later they were feeding one another bites of cake made with seven kinds of chocolate. On the side there was a bowl of whipped cream, to offset the sweetness. They had other plans for it. Plans that would make them both sticky and necessitate a trip to the shower to clean one another off. 'Oh yes,' Kate thought. 'this is going to be a night to remember. And Rick doesn't even know yet that he gets souvenir pictures out of it.'

* * *

They celebrated their anniversary by taking a long weekend at the Hamptons beach house. Kate had been back to work for more than a month, and the heat had brought out the worst in too many people, keeping her depressingly busy. On Thursday night, she closed the last folder and practically ran down to the car where Rick and Alexis were waiting to whisk her away. The kids had a blast on Friday playing in (and in Adam's case, eating) sand. They loved playing chicken with the waves, and they adored the pool. Rick had bought a set of inflatable 'boats' with leg holes in the bottom, so the babies could kick their feet but still remain buoyant.

After the kids were all tucked into bed on Friday evening, and Alexis had gone over to a friend's house for the night, Kate and Rick settled onto the couch together. She reached under one of the big throw pillows and retrieved a package wrapped in white opalescent paper. She placed her gift on his lap with a smile. Rick looked at her, aghast. "This whole time, it's been hidden right _there_?" He tore the paper off the six by eight inch box with all the finesse of a three year old. He lifted the lid and separated the tissue paper to reveal a digital picture frame. Puzzled, he turned to her. "Don't we have one of these already?" he asked.

"Not like that one," she replied cryptically. He powered up the device and waited. Rather than being greeted by an image, he was faced with a long, narrow rectangular field, and below it, a depiction of a keyboard.

"It's password protected? But why?" She smiled, silent, waiting expectantly for him to reason it out. He gave a short nod and began to murmur to himself. "You only password lock something that you want to restrict access to. Why would someone want to do that with…" His jaw dropped, his eyes huge. "Oh," he finally gasped. "Password protected _pictures? _Kate, that's…that's…You swore you'd never…I have to….How do I…." he stammered, practically trembling with anticipation. He regarded the keyboard.

"It's…" she began, index finger poised over the screen, before he cut her off.

"No, wait! Don't tell me. I want to figure it out. Anniversary or no, this is huge, and I want to earn it." He took in her skeptical look. "What? You weren't about to tell me I can't figure it out, were you?" he demanded. "My _wife_ wasn't seriously about to insinuate that I am not capable of solving, dare I say it, a mystery?"

"No, no. I'm sure you will. I just hope the technology isn't obsolete before then," she teased.

He glared at her playfully, then turned his back, shielding the screen with his body so she couldn't see what he was typing. "Be careful," she warned. "Every third failed attempt deletes a picture." He whipped around, horrified. "Just kidding," she giggled. His scowl only made her laugh harder.

He tried one or two of the obvious ones, his birth date, her badge number. It wasn't as though he was some blockhead that had a limited memory capacity, but he thought she might use reverse logic. 'This is so easy no one would ever suspect I'd use it.' Something they shared, a confidence they kept? '_TemptationLn_' No, and more significant to her, anyway. Next he tried '_Always_', both forward and backward, to be safe. Safe…Safe word? '_Apples_' Nope. '_Snowflakes_' Nuh uh. He hazarded a glance toward her. The way she was biting her lip, eyes alight with anticipation, told him he was close. If he wasn't anywhere in the ballpark, she'd just look bored. Ok, so…some permutation of a safe word. He considered her, looking for clues in her face. She'd done her makeup just a bit more heavily than normal, he observed idly. The first time he'd seen her like that was when she'd saved him from an unpleasant demise at the hands of…Russian mobsters! That was it.

He beamed and grabbed for his phone, calling up a translation ap. She looked on, lips pressed together, as he typed 'Apples' and pressed 'Russian'. "GOT it," he crowed, punching '_y-a-b-l-o-k-i'_ into the keypad on the picture frame screen. The screen saver rolled away, revealing the first image. Kate, _his_ Kate, in that gorgeous green dress. Professionally done, he could tell that much from years of experience with publicity shots. The next photo was a close-up, a special filter giving it a misty, dreamy quality. In the third, another filter turned every sparkle on her dress and in her hair into starbursts. He was mesmerized. A few shots later, he found out she hadn't been alone that day, and smiled warmly at the group photo. She looked like she'd been having fun, and he would treasure having that lighthearted moment captured.

The scenery changed in the next picture, and he recognized it as the suite where they'd had one of their more memorable nights. His blood moved south quickly when his brain made the connection between that night, that _outfit_, and a camera. So quickly, in fact, that he got dizzy for just a second. He took in a slow, controlled breath, and thumbed the arrow. He was grateful for that recent influx of oxygen when he saw her expression, so full of love that his lungs seized up. He was conscious of Kate's cheek resting on his shoulder as she watched the screen. One shot caught her flat on her back, one knee drawn up, head to the side. In the next, she was on her stomach, chin in her hands, but with her elbows far enough apart that her luscious cleavage was in view. Then came the 'naughty girl' shot. She was on her hands and knees, and her breasts had clearly popped free of the top of the corset. She stared the camera lens down proudly. Subsequent photos showed more and more Kate and less and less outfit. In one she was on her stomach once again, in a side profile shot. They had used a dark fabric as a backdrop, contrast to the light skinned curves of her nude buttocks. The side of her face rested on the pillow, and she wore her best coy smile. The last shot before the collection looped back to the beginning made Rick choke on his breath. She was splayed on her back, with her left arm across her breasts, left hand palming the right globe. Her right hand was between her thighs. It was _almost_ discreet enough to be suitable for public view. Until the viewer took a good look at the rapturous expression, like she'd been caught while pleasuring herself.

When the first shot re-appeared, Rick quietly placed the frame face down on the coffee table. The images had him so aroused that he knew the second he touched her, he would want, no, _need_, to bury himself within her. He glanced to the side and was alarmed to find a rosy-cheeked Kate trying to stare a hole in the floor. He took a breath. The last thing she needed right now was him going 'caveman' on her. "What is it, my love?"

"I thought…it seemed like a good idea at the time…" her voice warbled.

His brows knit in confusion. "What?"

"You didn't say anything. You don't like them?"

If the pictures had left him speechless, her words were making him positively dumbstruck. Who _was_ this uncertain creature who had taken the place of his warrior wife? "Oh, honey, _no. _That isn't it at _all_! I'm just so... This might be the most amazing gift anyone's ever given me." He twisted to the side and pulled her to him. "Thank you."

Her hand brushed the rock-hard length of him and she looked up, eyes wide. "Oh, you DID like them."

"Told you." Now that he'd seen to her emotional wellbeing, other, more primal parts of his persona were straining at their bonds. He set them free, and he could tell she saw the change in his face instantly. She grinned as he pounced on her, eagerly accepting his ravishing kisses. When he pinned her below him, she reached beneath his shirt and raked her nails down his back, egging him on. He roughly pulled off her shorts, then his. She hooked one leg around his back, opening herself for him. When he speared into her, she used her Kegel contractions to clench around him, and he saw stars behind his eyelids. It had been a good long while since they'd had sex this wild and hot. He pumped into her, fast and furious, and in a short while they were both whimpering, desperate for release. Her teeth found his earlobe, biting gently but firmly, and that was it for him. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he flew into oblivion, taking her with him with his last few thrusts.

When Rick was once again capable of coherent thought, he reached into the drawer in the coffee table and pulled out an envelope, placing it on Kate's chest. For a moment he watched the rectangle bounce in time with the pounding of her heart. Eventually it slowed, and her focus narrowed on it. "What's this?" She opened the flap and extracted a handful of plane tickets. Her brow furrowed as she studied them, puzzled. Finally, comprehension dawned, and she rolled her eyes. "Castle."

"Yes, my love?"

"What is this?" As if she couldn't read that he'd bought tickets for the whole damned family to freaking ASIA.

"Second anniversary, modern gift," he quoted faithfully. "Traditional is cotton. Too boring."

"They mean the dinnerware, not the country!"

"Then 'they' shouldn't leave it open to interpretation," he retorted playfully.

"I just returned to work, I can't go off to _China."_

"Kate. Look how far out the date is. And we can move it, if need be. Just promise me we do this before our third anniversary, that's all I ask." He could tell by the long suffering huff that he'd already won.

* * *

_**There you have it, folks. Please leave a review on your way out the door, if you'd be so kind, and if you'd be interested in what comes next, don't forget to select "author alert" from the check boxes. Again, thank you all for joining me on this amazing journey, but my ultimate gratitude goes to Tessa and Caitlan, upon whom I can always rely for feedback.**_


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